Autism Rating Scales

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and accompanied by restrictive and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities. In the absence of an objective physiological biomarker, ASDs are diagnosed on the basis of specific observable behaviors. There are many challenges in diagnosing individuals with an ASD, including the great variability in the presentation of symptoms between individuals, the differences in symptom presentation across different developmental periods, and the overlap of ASD symptoms with those of other developmental disorders. Given these challenges, screening tools and symptom rating scales provide an important first step in identifying children who may be on the autism spectrum and who may benefit from referrals to individuals qualified to make a full diagnosis.

Early ...