With a study of more than 13,500 children that spanned over five years, Australian researchers tested a tool that they had developed for the early screening of autism.

Researchers at Melbourne’s La Trobe University found that 83% of children aged between 12 and 24 months who were “flagged by the tool,” were diagnosed with autism later down the line.  

“Children diagnosed early demonstrated better verbal and overall cognition at school age, were more likely to attend mainstream school and required less ongoing support than children diagnosed later,” wrote lead researcher Josephine Barbaro in an email to DW.

While existing tests such as M-CHAT (the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) are able to diagnose autism in kids between the ages of 4 and 6 years, the new screening tool, known as SACS (Social Attention and Communication Surveillance) can identify autism about four years earlier than standard tests, according to the researchers. 

According to Barbaro, an analysis of 13 studies deduced that M-CHAT had “a pooled positive predictive value (or accuracy) of 6%”, far lower than SACS-R’s 83% accuracy.

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“Putting this extremely effective tool in the hands of a trained primary health professional, so that during their routine health checks they are also screening for autism, makes a huge difference to early diagnosis,” said Barbaro.

According to the researchers of the study, earlier diagnosis can lead to better life outcomes in autistic individuals. 

Also Read: What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, later diagnosis of autism can be “difficult,” “because there is no medical test, like a blood test.”  

The recently developed screening tool consists of two elements: SACS-Revised and SACS-Preschool.

With translations in eight languages, the tool has been used in 11 countries including, China, Italy, Bangladesh, Singapore, Japan, Nepal, South Korea, Spain, New Zealand, Poland, and the United Kingdom.