The Importance of Early Intervention and the Challenge of Early Detection

The national priority of early intervention for infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has led to the need for improved early detection methods. The CDC/NIH funded FIRST WORDS^® Project on red flags of ASD in infants and toddlers implemented a developmental surveillance system using a community-based screening of a general population sample of children 9-18 months of age. Preliminary findings on an RCT involving parent-implemented social communication intervention for young toddlers with ASD will be presented. The focus of the discussion will be on the challenges of providing parent-implemented intervention for newly diagnosed toddlers with ASD, the utility of a crossover design to recruit families, the measure of active engagement in everyday activities as an index of intensity of treatment, barriers that impede, and strategies that improve parent participation in screening and diagnosis of ASD and early intervention.