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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry

Sec. Autism

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1638341

This article is part of the Research TopicVery Early Identification and Intervention for Infants with Prodromes of AutismView all articles

Clinical and sociodemographic factors related to the timing of autism diagnosis in an Italian cohort of children

Provisionally accepted
Alessia CianfaAlessia Cianfa1SILVIA GUERRERASILVIA GUERRERA1*Elisa FucàElisa Fucà1Emma AnnechiniEmma Annechini1Valentina NapoliValentina Napoli1,2Stefano VicariStefano Vicari1,3Giovanni ValeriGiovanni Valeri1
  • 1Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
  • 2Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, Rome, Italy
  • 3Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - Campus di Roma, Rome, Italy

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The onset of features associated with "Autism Spectrum Condition" can vary significantly in terms of timing and presentation. A formal diagnosis often does not align with the emergence of early signs due to challenges in recognizing the initial manifestations of neurodevelopmental differences.Current research shows limited consensus regarding clinical and sociodemographic factors linked to early versus late diagnoses underscoring the need for further investigation.. Given the importance of early identification, further investigation into these factors is essential.: Data were retrospectively collected from clinical records of children evaluated for suspected autismwho underwent neuropsychiatric assessment at the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit of an Italian pediatric hospital between 2016 and 2023, following a pediatrician's suspicion of autism. The standardized evaluation included neuropsychiatric examination, assessment of cognitive and adaptive functioning, evaluation of autistic traits, and a comprehensive psychopathological profile. Correlational

Keywords: Early identification, Diagnosis timing, clinical predictors, Parental recognition, sociodemographic factors, Early Intervention

Received: 30 May 2025; Accepted: 20 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Cianfa, GUERRERA, Fucà, Annechini, Napoli, Vicari and Valeri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: SILVIA GUERRERA, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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