Early screening and diagnosis for ASD children in China

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder featured by communication and social interaction deficits, limited interest, and stereotyped behavior, with no biological treatment currently available yet. However, new high-intensity behavioral therapy can significantly improve the cognitive, linguistic, and adaptive abilities of ASD children. ASD can be diagnosed reliably at the age of 2 years, but the average age at diagnosis is 4.5 years, which causes numerous ASD children to lose the golden period of early intervention. Therefore, early detection and diagnosis of ASD, which provide early intervention opportunities for ASD children, are critical for improving the prognosis of ASD. Since the first case of ASD was reported in China in 1982, Chinese scholars have obtained many achievements in various fields of ASD research. This article will review research on perspectives of early signs, early screening, and diagnostic tools, early screening models, and results of ASD research by Chinese scholars in the past decade.