Autism Detection in Early Childhood

Author(s): Dr Robyn Young

Publisher: ACER Press, 2007

Purpose: To screen for autistic tendencies in young children
Candidates: 12 months to 3 years of age
Administration: 10 to 15 minutes

Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) is an extremely effective, validated screening tool for identifying autism and autistic tendencies in children as young as 12 months. Until now, autism has typically gone undiagnosed in younger children due to a lack of awareness of the behaviours that can indicate autism in preverbal children. ADEC clearly identifies and details these behaviours. Those at risk can be screened and referred for a more formal diagnosis, enabling much-needed support at an early stage of development - an important contributor to successful intervention.

ADEC consists of a manual, a training DVD, a score sheet for each child assessed and stimulus materials.

Key features:

• Ability to screen children as young as 12 months for autism or autistic tendencies
• Can be used with little training by general practitioners, maternal healthcare nurses, allied healthcare professionals, psychologists, therapists and special needs educators
• Assists in identifying specific behaviours that require intervention
• Able to discriminate autistic behaviours from learning disabilities and other developmental disorders with a high level of sensitivity and specificity.

About the author
Dr Robyn Young is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Director of the Early Intervention Research Program at Flinders University, South Australia. Her interest in autism began in 1992 while working on an international genetics project at Stanford University, USA. Young became concerned about the interval of time between the onset of symptoms and a diagnosis, which could be better spent undertaking intervention. She attributed the delay in diagnosis, in part, to the lack of understanding of how Autism Spectrum Disorder presents in young children. This led to six years of research that resulted in the development of ADEC.

The icon indicates items that require qualifications to be purchased. To see what qualifications are required, follow the link to view the product's details. To apply for registration of your qualifications with ACER Press, please follow the instructions here.