Diagnosis of Autism Varies Widely Across U.S.

Researchers have found that health care providers at different autism centers are inconsistent in determining whether a child should be diagnosed with autistic disorder or a subtype, such as Asperger syndrome.

The findings, researchers say, give support to the idea that everyone who meets certain criteria be given the same designation of "autism spectrum disorder," instead of subcategories such as Asperger. The treatment is the same, whether the diagnosis is autism or Asperger.

For the study, data were collected on nearly 2,100 children with characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. All were diagnosed at one of 12 university-based autism centers across the U.S.

Wide variations

At one site, doctors diagnosed all of their young patients with autism and none with Asperger. But at another site, nearly 40 percent of youngsters were diagnosed with Asperger, another 40 percent with "pervasive development disorder - not otherwise specified" (PDD-NOS), and 20 percent with autism.

Researchers say the reason for the inconsistencies is that each site uses different criteria to determine the three conditions.

"The second most important predictor of which diagnosis the clinicians made was where they worked" - not what symptoms the child had, says lead researcher Catherine Lord, Ph.D., at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The study was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Changing diagnoses

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., at Autism Speaks, wasn't surprised by the study results. "In the future, it is likely that we will no longer attempt to classify individuals in the autism spectrum into different subtypes," she says.

In most cases, children who are diagnosed with autism have significant language, communication, and social skills problems, as well as repetitive behaviors and intellectual disabilities.

According to Lord, children who have some of the characteristics of autism, such as language delays and social problems, but only subtle or not obvious repetitive behaviors, may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. And those who have some characteristics of autism but good verbal skills, high intelligence, and possibly less obvious social impairment, are often said to have Asperger.

Lord also notes that health professionals at individual centers were consistent on the criteria they used to diagnose children. The discrepancies emerged when comparing one center's diagnostic criteria with another's.

Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.

Online Resources

(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)

Autism Speaks - What Is Autism?

CDC - Autism Spectrum Disorders

National Institute of Mental Health - Autism Spectrum Disorders

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Autism Information Page

January 2012

Autism Has Many Faces

Autism affects all racial, ethnic, and social groups. Boys are up to four times more likely than girls to be affected by autism, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

A family that has one child with autism has a 5 percent chance of having another child with the disorder.

Most experts agree that early treatment is important in treating autism. But how can parents spot problems that might lead to a diagnosis?

According to the NINDS, a child should be evaluated for autism if he or she:

• Doesn't babble or coo by age 12 months

• Doesn't point, wave, grasp or make other gestures by age 12 months

• Doesn't say single words by age 12 months

• Doesn't say two-word phrases on his or her own by age 16 months

• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

If the doctor finds that a child has signs of autism, the child will be sent to a specialist to be tested and to rule out other disorders.

Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.