Symptoms of autism in young children and correspondence with the DSM

The Checklist for Autism in Young Children, comprising 30 symptoms related to autism, was administered to 143 children with autism. The children had a n average of 23 (77%) of the checklist symptoms (range 50%-97%). Percentage s of children exhibiting each checklist symptom and other data were compare d with diagnostic criteria and associated features reported in the DSM-IV. Two DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were not supported by study findings, and fo ur checklist symptoms occurred at high frequencies (89%-100%) but were not included as DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.