ABSTRACT
Early valid diagnosis and intensive intervention carry a greater likelihood for ameliorating the effects of autism (e.g., Rogers, 1998) and can lead to a clearer perspective on etiology as well (Zelazo, 1997a, 1997b). Some researchers (e.g., Baird et al., 2000; Baron-Cohen, Allen, & Gillberg, 1992; Baron-Cohen et al., 1996) recognized the significance of early identification of autism and their attempts to produce a valid screening tool represented an important first step. Others have studied early social behaviors among children with autism to better understand the development of the disorder (Leekam & Moore, chap. 6, this volume; Mundy, Sigman, & Kasari, 1994). Early identification and treatment are important because as time advances constraints on plasticity increase. Just as the distances between the spokes of a wheel increase as they recede from the hub, so too the later we diagnose and treat autism, the more distant the children drift from normal development and their nonhandicapped peers.
