In particular , there is little evidence that the identified tools would be good at detecting change in intervention studies .
The obvious gaps in available outcome measurement include well-being and participation outcomes for children , and family quality -of-life outcomes , domains particularly valued by our informants ( young people with ASD and parents ) .
This is the first systematic review of the quality and appropriateness of tools design ed to monitor progress and outcomes of young children with ASD .
BACKGROUND The needs of children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) are complex and this is reflected in the number and diversity of outcomes assessed and measurement tools used to collect evidence about children 's progress .
Relevant outcomes include improvement in core ASD impairments , such as communication , social awareness , sensory sensitivities and repetitiveness ; skills such as social functioning and play ; participation outcomes such as social inclusion ; and parent and family impact .
OBJECTIVES To examine the measurement properties of tools used to measure progress and outcomes in children with ASD up to the age of 6 years .
To identify outcome areas regarded as important by people with ASD and parents .
A prospective study of the emergence of early behavioral signs of autism.
OBJECTIVE To examine prospect ively the emergence of behavioral signs of autism in the first years of life in infants at low and high risk for autism . METHOD A prospect i ve longitudinal design was used to compare 25 infants later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) with 25 gender-matched low-risk children later determined to have typical development . Participants were evaluated at 6 , 12 , 18 , 24 , and 36 months of age .  Frequencies of gaze to faces , social smiles , and directed vocalizations were coded from video and rated by examiners . RESULTS The frequency of gaze to faces , shared smiles , and vocalizations to others were highly comparable between groups at 6 months of age , but significantly declining trajectories over time were apparent in the group later diagnosed with ASD . Group differences were significant by 12 months of age on most variables . Although repeated evaluation documented loss of skills in most infants with ASD , most parents did not report a regression in their child 's development . CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that behavioral signs of autism are not present at birth , as once suggested by Kanner , but emerge over time through a process of diminishment of key social communication behaviors . More children may present with a regressive course than previously thought , but parent report methods do not capture this phenomenon well . Implication s for onset classification systems and clinical screening are also discussed
In particular , there is little evidence that the identified tools would be good at detecting change in intervention studies .
The obvious gaps in available outcome measurement include well-being and participation outcomes for children , and family quality -of-life outcomes , domains particularly valued by our informants ( young people with ASD and parents ) .
This is the first systematic review of the quality and appropriateness of tools design ed to monitor progress and outcomes of young children with ASD .
BACKGROUND The needs of children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) are complex and this is reflected in the number and diversity of outcomes assessed and measurement tools used to collect evidence about children 's progress .
Relevant outcomes include improvement in core ASD impairments , such as communication , social awareness , sensory sensitivities and repetitiveness ; skills such as social functioning and play ; participation outcomes such as social inclusion ; and parent and family impact .
OBJECTIVES To examine the measurement properties of tools used to measure progress and outcomes in children with ASD up to the age of 6 years .
To identify outcome areas regarded as important by people with ASD and parents .