Can a two year old be diagnosed with autism?

Question

I thought that they would have to be older and more developed to be diagnosed

Answer 1

My daughter was diagnosed correctly at 2-1/2, so the answer is yes.  Like a previous answer stated, if the child is extremly high functioning or aspergers, the diagnosis would probably not be made until after age 5.

There is a screening called MCHAT designed for toddlers 16-30 months.  

While it's not a diagnostic tool, but a screen, it's said to have up to 85% accuracy in predicting which children will have an autism diagnosis later.

Answer 2

It all depends where on the autistic spectrum the child is. A child with classic and profound Kanner's autism can be diagnosed before the age of two as the signs and developmental milestones are much more noticeable. If the child has Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism they are usually diagnosed later. This is because the condition is not as pronounced and the child may be quite good at disguising it. A good clinical psychologist would be able to spot the signs of an ASD at almost any age but would want to monitor the child before labelling them with a diagnosis.

Answer 3

Both my autistic spectrum sons are mild.  They are both PDD.NOS and were dx at ages 25 months and 9 months.  We have a strong family history and I got them into a neurologist early.  Most kids I would say are dx at age 2.  The chances of an incorrect dx before 2 is higher, but if you have someone good, they can tell at 12 months.  My sons neurologist wasn't totally comfortable at 9 months calling him an autistic spectrum disorder even though that is what she thought.  So instead she had us come back at 12 months and at nine months his dx was social-communication disorder which is synonomous with PDD.  She actually labeled him PDD.NOS at 15 months.  My boys are both very mild, some specialists don't even agree that they are spectrum.  We are fortunate enough to live so close to highly regarded autism evaluators such as Dr. Greenspan, and Kennedy krieger

Answer 4

I think it would be harder, but  I think it can be done.

Answer 5

A child that shows symptoms of autism are allowed to be tested to see if a doctor is able to give early medication or any type of treatment. If the child shows immediate symptoms in the doctor could tell.

Answer 6

yes---most children I know of are diagnosed when they are 2------some are diagnosed before that----some are definitively diagnosed until they are older when the symptoms are mild----when they are older there are more characteristics that can be assessed.

There is no medication--treatment (speech therapy) isn't based on a diagnosis--only on the fact that there is a delay as evaluated by the speech therapist.

Answer 7

Yes! But the problem comes with what type of therapy can be offered , and what valuable information about the child's development a such diagnose can provide...