Follow-up of two-year-olds referred for possible autism

J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1995 Nov;36(8):1365-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01669.x.

Abstract

Thirty, 2-year-old children referred for possible autism were evaluated using a parent interview, a rating scale and psychometric tests and reassessed one year later. Clinical diagnosis was relatively stable across time; diagnosis using the formal measures changed significantly, particularly for younger and more developmentally delayed children. Several patterns contributed to the increasing differentiation of children with autism from age 2 to 3, including the development of clearly recognizable, repetitive behaviors in the autistic children and significant improvements in basic social skills in the children judged not to be autistic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Autistic Disorder / classification
  • Autistic Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / classification
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / diagnosis
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / psychology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Communication
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Language Development Disorders / classification
  • Language Development Disorders / diagnosis
  • Language Development Disorders / psychology
  • Male
  • Patient Care Team
  • Personality Assessment
  • Social Behavior
  • Stereotyped Behavior