Identifying early signs of autism could be the key to quick diagnosis: study

A ground-breaking new study has unlocked the hallmarks of autism in children as young as 12 months.

The research has found early signs of autism include difficulty pointing, lacking eye contact, failing to wave goodbye, not responding when name is called and an inability to imitate the actions of others.

Dr Josephine Barbaro from La Trobe University monitored more than 30,000 young children in the study, delivering an 81 per cent accuracy rate in autism diagnosis.

“When we identify children early we can actually try to change children’s developmental trajectories,” she said.

“The important aspect is that we are actually training our maternal child health nurses on how to identify these markers.”