Early signs & diagnosis

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

The CDC's parent-facing programme for tracking child development. Links to milestone checklists from 2 months through 5 years and guidance on what to do if you have a concern. Designed to be used in conversation with your paediatrician.

CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early.

Autistic girls and late diagnosis — why so many are missed

Autistic girls are diagnosed later, less often, and with less confidence than autistic boys. This piece walks through why — the female autism phenotype, masking, and what it costs — and what to do if you suspect your daughter has been missed.

Signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder

CDC's page describing common signs of autism by age — social, communication, and behavioural — written for parents trying to make sense of what they are noticing before talking with a doctor.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Getting an autism diagnosis

NHS guidance for families on the assessment pathway in the UK: how to start, what referrals look like, what the assessment itself involves, and what happens after. Useful as a model of what a public-system process can look like.

National Health Service (NHS, UK)