Government Panel Questions Universal Autism Screening

[proverbialwisdom]

Source: Disability Scoop

By MICHELLE DIAMENT
August 4, 2015

With autism rates rising, experts have pushed for years to expand screening for the developmental disorder to all children. But now an influential government panel is saying not so fast.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a draft proposal Monday saying that there is too little evidence to support autism screening for every child.

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The proposal, however, runs counter to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics which recommends screening for all children at ages 18 and 24 months.

The pediatrics group said they remain committed to their standards, adding that screening increases the odds that a child will be spotted and treated early, positioning them for the best outcome.

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The proposal is up for public comment through the end of August.

Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/08/04/government-autism-screening/20532/

[sybylla]

1. If it's caught early, children have a better chance at a normal life.

By normal, I mean normal for them - less struggle, less upheaval, less stress and less frustration later on. What child couldn't use that?

Why the fuck not screen them all? My grandson when through it. It's a list of questions that takes about 10 minutes. BFD. And it was pretty accurate. He doesn't have Autism. But the screening helped us find other issues we are addressing with occupational therapy. It's made a world of difference and he hasn't even hit his 4th birthday yet.