Instruments for the early detection of the autistic spectrum disorders

An early intervention in the autistic disorders is of supreme importance in order to improve the prognosis of these patients. The difficulty involved in the diagnosis in the early years of life leads to a considerable delay in their first evaluation by a specialist on children mental health. That?s why the purpose of our paper is to facilitate a material that may orientate the paediatrician in the early detection of the autistic spectrum disorders by means of an updated review of the standardized instruments and a reconsideration of the most discriminative clinical criteria.