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 .
Social and communication development in toddlers with early and later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.
CONTEXT To our knowledge , no prospect i ve studies of the developmental course of early and later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders from 14 months of age exist . OBJECTIVE To examine patterns of development from 14 to 24 months in children with early and later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders . DESIGN Prospect i ve , longitudinal design in which 125 infants at high and low risk for autism were tested from age 14 to 36 months . Comprehensive st and ardized assessment s included measures of social , communication , and play behavior . SETTING Testing occurred at a major medical and research institution as part of a large , ongoing longitudinal study . PARTICIPANTS Low-risk controls ( n = 18 ) and siblings of children with autism , grouped on the basis of outcome diagnostic classification at 30 or 36 months : autism spectrum disorders ( early diagnosis , n = 16 ; later diagnosis , n = 14 ) , broader autism phenotype ( n = 19 ) , and non-broader autism phenotype ( n = 58 ) . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Social , communication , and symbolic abilities were assessed . RESULTS Social , communication , and play behavior in the early-diagnosis group differed from that in all other groups by 14 months of age . By 24 months , the later-diagnosis group differed from the non-autism spectrum disorder groups in social and communication behavior , but not from the early-diagnosis group . Examination of growth trajectories suggests that autism may involve developmental arrest , slowing , or even regression . CONCLUSION This study provides insight into different patterns of development of children with early vs later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders
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 .