The wait for ASD evaluation dramatically increases with age, with wait times of a year or more common as children reach preschool. Even when appointments become available, families from traditionally underserved groups struggle to access care. Addressing care disparities requires designing identification tools and processes specifically for and…

Autistic individuals often exhibit motor atypicalities, which may relate to difficulties in social communication. This study utilized a smart tablet activity to computationally characterize motor control by testing adherence to the two-thirds power law (2/3 PL), which captures a systematic covariation between velocity and curvature in motor…

Intelligence in minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum (AS) is at risk of being underestimated. The present study investigated testability and cognitive profile of preschool autistic children using conventional tools and strength-informed tools. Fifty-two AS children and fifty-four typical children matched on age (31-77 months) were…

The goal of the present study was to compare profiles among Black families of autistic youth who were identified Early ([less than or equal to] 2 years of age), Mid (age 3 or 4), and Delayed ([greater than or equal to] 5 years of age) to better identify the characteristics that contribute to early ASD identification and delayed ASD identification.…

In the present work, we have undertaken a proof-of-concept study to determine whether a simple upper-limb movement could be useful to accurately classify low-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 2-4. To answer this question, we developed a supervised machine-learning method to correctly discriminate 15 preschool children…

The reliable diagnosis of Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder in pre-school children is important for access to early intervention and for accurate ascertainment for research. This paper explores the combined use of two standardised assessment instruments--the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule…

We studied the association between an adult's behavior and episodes of social engagement (ESEs) in young children with autism during play-based assessment. ESEs were defined as events in which a child looked toward the adult's face and simultaneously showed an additional form of communicative behavior. The adult's behavior before each ESE, and…

This study estimates the sensitivity and specificity of the social communication questionnaire (SCQ) for autistic spectrum disorders in preschool children at high risk for developmental problems referred to a tertiary centre and compares the predictions of the SCQ and the referrer. The SCQ was completed by 81 parents prior to multidisciplinary…

Forty-one children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) receiving eclectic services were assessed twice during their preschool years. Measures were compared over time for the whole group and for diagnostic subgroups: Childhood autism (CA group) and Other PDDs group. The mean intelligence quotient/developmental quotient (IQ/DQ) of the…

Analyses of home movies taken by 12 parents before recognition of their children's autistic disorders confirmed that anomalies could be noted as early as the first few months of life, such as anomalies of eye contact, deficient variability of emotional expression, deficit of attention, and initiation of communication, and motor abnormalities.…

This study compared the ongoing levels of naturally occurring behavior in 32 typical preschool-aged children and 32 children with autism. Results are discussed in terms of implications for establishing early social intervention goals for children with autism. It concludes that key peer-related behaviors must be assessed across time and activities…

Parents of 20 children with autism and 14 children with mental retardation, with comparable cognitive developmental levels, completed the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist. Results revealed that autistic children exhibited deficits in imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills compared to the other group, and that parents are capable of…

Evaluation of 26 children (ages 24-55 months) with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) while interacting with either the mother, a familiar female teacher, and an unfamiliar male doctor. PDD subjects were most severely impaired during the mother episode. During the teacher episode, PDD subjects were twice as variable in interpersonal response…