Identifying Autism Earlier Than Ever

Most autistic children do not receive their formal diagnosis until around age five. Jed T. Elison, PhD, a faculty member in the U’s Institute of Child Development, and his colleagues are finding new ways to detect and address neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism much earlier, which can pay big dividends. The team is currently collecting new data to replicate game-changing evidence indicating that patterns of brain development at six and 12 months of age can be used to predict which individuals will later receive an autism diagnosis at 24 months. The researchers believe that identifying children at increased likelihood for developing autism as early as possible will allow them to leverage the plasticity inherent to the first 1,000 days and build skills in these children to enhance their developmental potential. Learn more about Elison’s research.