Journal on Developmental Disabilities
Le journal sur les handicaps du développement

Abstract

Parents and caregivers (91.1% mothers; M age = 36 years) of 259 children age 10 or younger (82.6% boys; M age=6 years) with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) responded to a web-based questionnaire regarding the ages at which their children showed 11 symptoms of autism. All symptoms were noticed earlier than the 3 years of age at which diagnosis is usually deemed possible. The percentages of parents who affirmed the presence of various characteristics differed based on their child's type of ASD diagnosis (autism, Asperger's, or PDD-NOS). Mean ages at which parents first noticed autistic characteristics ranged from 10 months to 2.7 years; however, the ages at which parents detected 8 symptoms also differed based on diagnosis. Limitations of this large-sample survey include participation only by families who have access to the internet and a lack of external confirmation of parent-reported diagnoses.

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