Researchers from the University of California Davis, Sacramento, spent two years monitoring a high-risk group of children whose older siblings had autism against a control group. Three-quarters of the babies who did not respond to their name at 12 months were identified with developmental problems at the age of two years. Ninety-four per cent of those who had no developmental delays at two years had passed the 'name test', compared with only 50 per cent who were later diagnosed with autism.
Autism spectrum disorder is usually not diagnosed until children are three or four years old, although half of parents of children with the disorder report concerns about their child's development before their first birthday. The 'name test' could possibly enable the condition to be identified earlier and improve outcomes for children.
Judith Gould, director of the National Autistic Society's diagnosis unit, said, 'We welcome research that can aid the identification of autism as early as possible. There is a great deal of evi- dence that early intervention can benefit the child's development.
'However, this research is not conclusive and this may not be an obvious indicator for all children with autism. The diagnostic assessments for autism are thorough and wide-ranging, taking into account a variety of factors.'
The research is published in the April issue of the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and can be downloaded at www.archpedi.ama-assn.org.
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