New autism guidelines focus in early diagnosis, treatment

AKIPRESS.COM - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday issued its first new autism treatment guidelines in 12 years aimed at helping doctors identify at-risk children and getting them the care they need as early as possible, Reuters reports.
Since developmental delays are often present in very young children with autism, the report, published in the journal Pediatrics, urges doctors to check for issues during all well-baby visits and refer children for treatment at the first sign of an issue, rather than wait for a formal autism evaluation.
More than five million Americans are living with autism, a spectrum of disorders marked by deficits in social communication and interaction and repetitive behaviors of widely varying severity.
"The benefit of identifying children as early as possible is they can then be referred for treatment," Dr. Susan Levy, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-author of the report, said in a phone interview.
Early treatment, and particularly behavioral interventions, do make a difference, Levy said.