Autism in not usually diagnosed until the second or third year of life. A recent article suggests that autism and behaviors that correlate with the later development of autism may be identified as early as 6-8 months. Furthermore, there are studies, which suggest that intensive ABA may prevent autism if begun at an earlier enough age. One study reported that a one-year-old child at high risk for developing autism was completely after three years of ABA therapy. This doesn't surprise me. I have always thought that ABA "rewired" or appropriately wired the brains of young children.
(Preventing Autism Now: A Possible Next Step For Behavior Analysis, Philip W. Drash, Autism Early Intervention Center)
