Table 2 Summary of existing recommendations
From: Screening for autistic spectrum disorder in early childhood
Source | Ref | Date | General recommendations for autism screening in children under five |
|---|---|---|---|
WHO | [1] | 2018 | “Intervention during early childhood is important to promote the optimal development and well-being of people with an ASD. Monitoring of child development as part of routine maternal and child health care is recommended.” |
USPSTF | [7] | 2016 | “The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for ASD in young children for whom no concerns of ASD have been raised by their parents or a clinician. (I statement)” |
PrevInfad | [3] | 2017 | • “Not to do universal screening with tests like M-CHAT (M-CHAT, M-CHAT/F, M-CHAT/R, M-CHAT/R/F) is suggested.” (Low quality of the evidence; weak recommendation) • “Screening with tests like M-CHAT/R/F (M-CHAT, M-CHAT/F, M-CHAT/R, M-CHAT/R/F) in high risk individuals is recommended” (Moderate-high quality of the evidence; strong recommendation) High risk individuals: Familiar history of ASD in siblings, neurological disorders associated to ASD, prematurity, social communication disorders or repetitive behaviour or alert signs of ASD. |
CDC and AAP | [9] | 2015 | “All children should be screened specifically for ASD during regular well-child doctor visits at: 18 month and 24 months. Additional screening might be needed if a child is at high risk for ASD (e.g., having a sister, brother or other family member with an ASD) or if behaviors sometimes associated with ASD are present.” |
UK NSC | [13] | 2012 | “A national screening programme for autistic spectrum disorders in children under the age of five is not recommended” |
Canadian Paediatric Society | [15] | 2019 | “All Canadian children should be monitored for early behavioural signs of ASD as part of general developmental surveillance.” “However, because randomized clinical trials have not yet demonstrated that routine developmental screening for children with no preidentified risks improves outcomes, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Healthcare has concluded that the evidence is insufficient to recommend routine screening” |