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# Diagnosing autism at the 1-year well-baby check-up
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/autism_0429110725/
- Published: 2011-04-29T08:24:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T13:14:07.000Z
- Description: Pediatricians screened 10,479 one-year-olds with a communication and behaviour checklist. Of 184 who failed and were evaluated, 32 received a provisional or final autism diagnosis, 56 language delay and nine developmental delay; positive predictive value was estimated at .75.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Disease, Health News, #vivvo-import

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in every 110 children has autism.  
  
How can doctors and parents better detect cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), language delay (LD), and developmental delay (DD)?  
  
It may be with a broadband screening at a child's 1-year check-up.  
  
A new study in the [Journal of Pediatrics](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?%5Fob=ArticleURL&%5Fudi=B6WKR-52R25K8-1&%5Fuser=10362584&%5FcoverDate=04/27/2011&%5Frdoc=1&%5Ffmt=high&%5Forig=gateway&%5Forigin=gateway&%5Fsort=d&%5Fdocanchor=&view=c&%5Facct=C000010338&%5Fversion=1&%5FurlVersion=0&%5Fuserid=10362584&md5=b8c293382a2e6064e4b1f9158bbe2263&searchtype=a&ref=foodconsumer.org) says by using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist, 137 pediatricians screened 10,479 infants at the 1-year check-up.  
  
Karen Pierce PhD, University of California San Diego, who led the team, says 184 infants who failed the screen were evaluated and tracked. So far, 32 infants received a provisional or final diagnosis of ASD, 56 of LD, nine of DD, and 36 of “other.”  
  
Five infants who initially tested positive for ASD no longer met criteria at follow-up. The remainder of the sample was false positive results. Positive predictive value was estimated to be .75.  
  
Scientists say this shows the 1-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach shows promise as a simple mechanism to detect cases of ASD, LD, and DD. 

Previous research suggests children as young as 1 year old can show signs of autism, according to Autism Speaks. It typically appears during the first three years of life and is four times more prevalent in boys than girls.

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, according to the CDC - affecting an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 people.  
  
As many as 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism.  
  
Autism is believed to be the result of a neurological disorder impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills, according to the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.  
  
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders says autism is one of five Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."  
  
PDD's also include Asberger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett's Disorder, and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).  
  
The U.S. Department of Education says autism is growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year and could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.  
  
The number of children with autism in Rhode Island's public schools increased more than 1,500 between 1992 and 2002, according to the Autism Project of Rhode Island.  
  
As Autism Awareness month winds down, one of the messages to parents continues to be 'early intervention'.  
  
Here are the 'red flags' to look for in your child, according to FirstSigns.org :  

- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
- No babbling by 12 months
- No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

**Additional Resources:**   
[Autism Project of Rhode Island](http://www.theautismproject.org/?ref=foodconsumer.org)  
Click here to take [The Milestone Quiz](http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/actearly/quiz/alt.html?ref=foodconsumer.org).  
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