What to know
The early identification of developmental problems should lead to further developmental and medical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment, including early developmental intervention.
Information and Resources for Healthcare Providers to Review and Share
Information about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for healthcare providers, including free educational materials to give to parents and patients:
Materials to share with parents and patients
Developmental Milestone Checklists
Print out milestone checklists for parents to complete. You can give this to a parent before their child's next well-child exam visit; they can bring it back filled out to use as a discussion guide for reviewing their child's development.
Help CDC Promote Autism Awareness!
ASD Awareness
Autism awareness is made possible by collecting the highest quality data available, followed by effectively communicating those findings across all communities. Having social and community awareness and support can help people with ASD achieve optimal health and reach their full potential.
Provider Trainings and Additional Resources
Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Information for healthcare providers on screening children for ASD.
Did you know?
Screening tools can be used on younger children, usually require minimal training, take a short amount of time to administer, and can incorporate information from parents.
Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder
Information for healthcare providers on diagnostic tools and criteria for ASD.
ICD-10-CM Code for Wandering
Healthcare and other professionals need to be aware of wandering as a safety issue. Wandering goes beyond the brief time that a typical toddler might run off from a caregiver. Some children and youth with disabilities, such as those with ASD or intellectual disability (ID), have challenges understanding safety issues and communicating with others.
Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder
Find data and statistics related to ASD, including prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, and economic costs.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Find CDC research on ASD, including the current Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) project.
Scientific Articles on Autism Spectrum Disorder
Read CDC's latest scientific articles on ASD.
Content Source:
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.