The name is absent

Autism prodrome 52 of 89

efforts at early identification and the possibility to develop and test
interventions that may lessen the neurodevelopmental perturbations that lead
to the ASD phenotype; shifting the trajectory of individuals and improving
outcomes for children and their families. Whilst progress in science and
clinical practice can be frustratingly slow; our understanding of the early
emerging ASD phenotype has undergone a revolution in the past 20 years. The
challenge for the next decade is to improve our understanding of the
underlying biological and environmental influences that lead to the ASD
phenotype; and to identify prodromal signs that will help mark out infants at
risk before the onset of the disorder.

• Several novel lines of investigation have been employed, including
retrospective coding of home videos, prospective population screening and
‘high risk’ sibling studies.

• Other methods include investigation of pre- and peri-natal, brain
developmental and other biological factors.

• Whilst no single prodromal sign is expected to be present in all cases, a picture
is emerging of indicative prodromal signs in infancy.

• The most common early behavioral signs noticeable towards the end of the
first year of include social communication abnormalities but also possibly
regression, attention, and motor signs.

• There is great interest in several apparent atypicalities in brain structure,
connectivity and function, although it remains to be determined how specific
these will be to ASD.

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