Who Should Be Evaluated for ASD?

In every child who has any type of speech delay, the question of ASD must arise. Recent recommendations by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) specify some general early guidelines in that regard. These include:

• No babbling by 12 months
• No pointing or waving bye-bye by 1 year
• No single words by 16 months
• No spontaneous 2-word sentences (for communication, not repetition) by 2 years
• Any loss of acquired speech or communication skills at any age

Several speech developmental screening and rating scales are suggested by the AAN but the above guidelines cover the vast majority of children that require a more specific evaluation.