CARILION CLINIC CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL SUPPORTS NEW AUTISM SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS

New guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all children be screened for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 18 and 24 months. According to Carilion Clinic Developmental Pediatrician Kathryn Kerkering, M.D., in addition to formal screenings, doctors need to be aware of the signs of ASD, and take the time to ask parents or caregivers about the child's behavior and development at every well child visit.

"Early diagnosis and intervention is extremely important," Dr. Kerkering says. "While there is no cure, we can significantly improve a child's ability to interact with the world, and earlier treatment leads to better outcomes."

Subtle signs that can lead to early diagnosis include:

• not turning when the parent says the baby's name
• not turning to look when the parent points and says, "look at..." and not pointing to themselves to show parents an interesting object or event
• lack of back and forth babbling
• smiling late
• failure to make eye contact with people.

More information about autism is available from the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org. The AAP news release is here. You can also download an autism checklist.

MEDIA - email us to schedule an interview with Dr. Kerkering,