With autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence rising and a shortage of specialists available for diagnosis and management, pediatricians will need to be increasingly comfortable 1) giving a provisional diagnosis of ASD to create access to critical early behavioral interventions, 2) managing the comorbidities that significantly affect quality of life, and 3) supporting families to navigate the increasingly complex web of ASD-related services.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by differences in social and communication functioning and by restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. The increasing prevalence of ASD has been the subject of intense attention in the medical literature and lay press. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which measures confirmed diagnoses of ASD, has found an increased prevalence of ASD among 8-year-old US children from...
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