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Can Autism Be Diagnosed Accurately in Children Under 3 Years?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 1999

Wendy L. Stone ,
Evon B. Lee ,
Linda Ashford ,
Jane Brissie ,
Susan L. Hepburn ,
Elaine E. Coonrod  and
Bahr H. Weiss
Wendy L. Stone
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, U.S.A.
Evon B. Lee
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, U.S.A.
Linda Ashford
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, U.S.A.
Jane Brissie
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, U.S.A.
Susan L. Hepburn
Affiliation:
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, U.S.A.
Elaine E. Coonrod
Affiliation:
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, U.S.A.
Bahr H. Weiss
Affiliation:
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, U.S.A.
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Abstract

This study investigated the reliability and stability of an autism diagnosis in children under 3 years of age who received independent diagnostic evaluations from two clinicians during two consecutive yearly evaluations. Strong evidence for the reliability and stability of the diagnosis was obtained. Diagnostic agreement between clinicians was higher for the broader discrimination of autism spectrum vs. no autism spectrum than for the more specific discrimination of autism vs. PDD-NOS. The diagnosis of autism at age 2 was more stable than the diagnosis of PDD-NOS at the same age. Social deficits and delays in spoken language were the most prominent DSM-IV characteristics evidenced by very young children with autism.

Keywords

Autismpervasive developmental disorderpreschool childrenassessmentdiagnosissymptomatology
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , February 1999 , pp. 219 - 226
Copyright
© 1999 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry

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