School Age Outcomes of Children Diagnosed Early and Later with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Open accessAbstract
Early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder is considered best practice, increasing access to early intervention. Yet, many children are diagnosed after 3-years. The current study investigated the school age outcomes of children who received an early and later diagnosis of ASD. The cognitive and behavioural outcomes of children diagnosed early (n = 48), were compared to children diagnosed after 3-years (n = 37). Children diagnosed early accessed more intervention, demonstrated better verbal and overall cognition at school age, were more likely to attend mainstream school and required less ongoing support than children diagnosed later. Behavioural differences were not found between groups. Earlier diagnosis is important and is likely to promote more positive outcomes at school age due to increased opportunity for EI.
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Early diagnosis and treatment have been linked to greater reduction in the core symptoms of ASD, higher likelihood of receiving behavioral therapy, and a reduction in the use of psychotropic medication.
“Early diagnosis and treatment have been linked to greater reduction in the core symptoms of ASD, higher likelihood of receiving behavioral therapy, and a reduction in the use of psychotropic medication.”
From Tackling healthcare access barriers for individuals with autism from diagnosis to adulthood (2022) · cites this paper as [61]
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Tackling healthcare access barriers for individuals with autism from diagnosis to adulthood
Malik-Soni, N., Shaker, A., Luck, H., Mullin, A. E., Wiley, R. E., Lewis, M. E. S., Fuentes, J., & Frazier, T. W. (2022) · Pediatric Research · doi:10.1038/s41390-021-01465-y · Cited by 309 · see citing works
Navigating the Challenges: A Commentary on Barriers to Autism Screening in Childcare Centers
Wieckowski, A. T., Perez Liz, G., McGhee Hassrick, E., Koku, E., Frick, E., Austin, A., & Robins, D. L. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16010079
- Authors
- Clark, M. L. E., Vinen, Z., Barbaro, J., & Dissanayake, C.
- Affiliations
- La Trobe University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Dissanayake, Cheryl
- Venue
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2017-09-14
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 92-102
- ISSN
- 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3432
- OpenAlex
- W2754478183
- Cited by
- 168
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 5.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, early diagnosis, school-age outcomes, early intervention, cognitive outcomes, behavioural outcomes, diagnostic timing
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, Schools, Students, Treatment Outcome, Early Intervention, Educational, Early Diagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis
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