Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Aged 1 to 3 Years: Signs, Diagnosis, and Intervention Strategies

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-674-6_14How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder; toddler screening; early behavioural markers; caregiver perspectives; developmental delays; mixed – methods research; neurodevelopmental conditions

Abstract

Over to the last two decades, research on ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) has increasingly emphasized the importance of identifying early signs to improve developmental outcome. Although studies have shown that the reliable indicators can be detected between 12 and 36 months, many children worldwide still receive an official diagnosis after the age of four, thereby losing valuable opportunities for early intervention.

This research bridges this gap by using a mixed – methods approach to examine early behavioural and communication markers of ASD in toddlers aged 1 – 3 years. Data was collected from 120 children using standardised developmental assessments (M-CHAR-R/F, Bayley Scales, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales), caregiver interviews, and naturalistic play observations. Findings revealed consistent early predictors, including reduced eye contact (78%), delayed language development (59%), limited use of gestures (64%), repetitive behaviours (61%), and diminished joint attention (55%). Among these, delayed speech and lack of eye contact emerged as the strongest predictors (Odds Ratio = 4.2).

The result highlights the barriers such as inadequate paediatric training and delayed referrals while stressing the importance of regular screenings, caregiver awareness, and integrated early intervention services. The study recommends a multi – indicator screening model to ensure timely detection and equitable access to developmental support.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Adarsh Vardhan Srivastava
AU  - Chhote Lal Prasad Gupta
AU  - Anil Kumar
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/28
TI  - Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Aged 1 to 3 Years: Signs, Diagnosis, and Intervention Strategies
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Computing and Artificial Intelligence (ICSCAI 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 157
EP  - 168
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-674-6_14
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-674-6_14
ID  - Srivastava2026
ER  -