The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a non-partisan, government-supported panel said in a statement that the agency needs further research to see if there is a need for toddlers for more screening for autism. There are no preexisting tools available for early diagnosis of autism and parents do not actually have any idea what are the alarming signals to heed. 

Ideally, doctors should regularly check children to see if their development is at par with the appropriate milestones or if they are showing signs of disorders, such as autism. Experts also urged parents to tell them whatever concerns they notice, like if their child fails to make eye contact, so they could undergo the appropriate diagnostic testing.

The task force presented last Monday their draft recommendation for another step in diagnosing autism. It is aimed at helping specialists determine whether or not to use parent questionnaires and other tools to diagnose children under three with autism even if they do not show any signs. 

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force there is a limited amount of evidence that would enable them to fully decide for so-called universal screening, thus, doctors are left on their own to decide to diagnose a child with this condition, unless a uniform method is introduced.

Children with severe forms of autism are given early-stage treatment but none for those with mild symptoms, one thing that could also be detected through screening, Dr. David Grossman, a pediatrician and the chair of the task force, explained.

Another problem is the screening tool to use.

"We're not saying it's the wrong thing. We're just saying we're not sure," Grossman added.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics countered the recommendation made by the task force as they think it goes against their own guideline. According to the academy, screening should begin between 18 months and 24 months and there are standard developmental checks to be followed.

There are other health organizations who positive of the task force's proposal.

Dr. Susan E. Levy of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, getting the condition identified at an earlier stage makes it easier to give the children the treatment they need to produce better outcomes.

The task force's draft recommendation is open for public comment for 30 days.

Under the AAP recommendation, healthcare providers would regularly watch for signs of autism, and screen a child with a tool such as M-CHAT at ages 18 and 24 months.

"That combination approach has been shown to be effective at identifying kids early," said Dr. Susan Levy, chair of the AAP's autism subcommittee. Levy was not involved in crafting the proposed guideline.