A multidisciplinary Consensus Panel consisting of representatives of nine professional organizations and four parent organizations, with liaisons from the National Institutes of Health completed this review sponsored by the Child Neurology Society and American Academy of Neurology to formulate Practice Parameters. Broad discussion is presented here. The prevalence estimates have increased to 10-20 per 10,000, or one in every 500 to 1,000 people. Every health care or educational agency serving young children can expect to see children with autism. Positive outcomes of accurate diagnosis far outweigh the negative effects, and families universally express the desire to be informed as early as possible.
Early identification is important because intensive early intervention results in improved outcomes.
An elimination process of screening, probing and evaluating is recommended for all children. Detailed information on evaluation is given as well as information concerning differential diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Laboratory investigation is discussed, a list of recommendations is given and suggestions for further research are listed. Systemic changes relevant to autism such as length of visits with physicians and managed care concerns are also discussed.