Summary

Drawn out: Despite early screenings, families wait an average of 27 months for an autism diagnosis.

The average delay from an initial autism screening to obtaining a diagnosis is more than two years, according to a new study.

The findings may explain why the average age at diagnosis has stalled at 4 years old since 2000, despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2007 to screen all children at 18 and 24 months old.

Children with autism can’t receive care until they have a diagnosis.

Autism diagnosis in that cohort occurred, on average, almost 27 months after the first developmental screening, the team found.

“Having data on which screening test was administered and the results would have given a more complete picture of the effects of autism screening,” Paul Carbone, medical director of the Child Development Program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, told Spectrum in an email.

“There are so many more families that need an autism diagnosis than there are places to go, slots for autism evaluations. The need greatly eclipses our country’s capacity.”