Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Screening
Reviewed
Also called: ASD screening, autism screening
ASD screening is used to check for early signs of autism spectrum disorder in children age 2 and under, and sometimes in older children and adults. It helps find out which children need more testing to see if they have ASD. Screening cannot diagnose ASD.
Specimen: Not applicable (questionnaire and observation)
Why this test may be ordered
- Routine screening for all children at 18-month and 24-month well-child checkups (recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics).
- Children with higher risk for ASD (e.g., family history, certain genetic disorders, low birth weight).
- Any age if a parent, teacher, or caregiver notices possible autism symptoms.
- Adults who have never been diagnosed but have problems that could be signs of ASD.
Preparation and collection
No special preparations needed.
questionnaire and observation
There is no physical risk to having autism spectrum disorder screening. However, screening results may cause emotional concern or anxiety, and false-positive or false-negative results are possible.
Understanding results
The results of an ASD screening may be given as a score. The score may be described as low, medium, or high risk for ASD.
- Screen-negative (lower-likelihood): No signs of ASD were found at this time. Limitation: Screening cannot diagnose ASD; it only identifies children who may need further testing. Next step: If you have concerns despite a screen-negative result, discuss them with your provider.
- Screen-positive (higher-likelihood): Signs of ASD were found; further evaluation is recommended. Limitation: Screening cannot diagnose ASD; it only identifies children who may need further testing. Next step: More testing by a specialist is needed to confirm whether the signs are caused by ASD.
- Screening cannot diagnose ASD; it only identifies children who may need further testing.
- Screening may not find milder cases in early childhood.
- For adults, screening tools are still being developed and tested, and it can be difficult to find a specialist with experience diagnosing ASD in adults.
What to do next
If screening results show signs of ASD, more testing by a specialist (e.g., developmental pediatrician, child neurologist, child psychologist/psychiatrist) is needed to confirm whether the signs are caused by ASD. If screening results do not find signs of ASD but you have concerns, discuss them with your provider.
- Questions about your child's development and behavior, including speech, movement, thinking, and emotions.
- Questions about family health history (ASD often runs in families).
- For adults: questionnaire about symptoms, and possibly talking with family members who remember what you were like as a young child.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Screening