ABSTRACT

Several clinical practice guidelines for the screening and diagnosis of autism and autistic spectrum disorders are fairly similar in their components, and any variations in the process reflect their target audience. Guidelines drafted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (1) are intended for pediatricians; those by the American Academy of Neurology (2, 3), for child neurologists; those by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (4), for child psychiatrists; and those by the New York State Department of Health (5), for professionals from diverse disciplines as well as for parents. The present chapter will assume some familiarity with such protocols and attempt to provide a rationale for the major steps in this clinical process. Familiarity with the more traditional components of routine pediatric health care provision as well as with child developmental surveillance will also be assumed. The emphasis will be on how the medical practitioner can most effectively contribute.