Detecting autism spectrum disorders in the general practitioner's practice.

Griffith et al. (2012) looked at GP records for children who were later diagnosed with autism. They compared these records to those of children who were not diagnosed with autism. The goal was to spot early red flags that a family doctor might see first.

Kids who later got an ASD label had more visits for crying, feeding trouble, sleep issues, anxiety, and bed-wetting. They were also sent to physiotherapists and speech therapists more often. These problems showed up in the GP notes before anyone said "autism."

Prosperi et al. (2017) extends this picture: in preschoolers already diagnosed with ASD, four in ten had severe gut or food-selectivity issues, and those kids also had more sleep disruption, self-injury, and anxiety. The GP clues line up with what specialists see once the diagnosis is made.

Leader et al. (2020) broadens the age range. In a large sample of youth with ASD, 84% showed food selectivity and 79% food refusal, again linking feeding problems to GI pain and sensory issues. The GP signal of "feeding trouble" therefore points to a lifelong pattern, not just a toddler phase.

Meier et al. (2012) adds a time lens: sleep problems in ASD shift with age. Young kids fight bedtime; teens can’t fall asleep or stay awake in class. A GP who sees sleep complaints should keep watching— the form will change as the child grows.

Nikolov et al. (2009) is a predecessor that first measured GI symptoms in ASD. They found constipation or diarrhea in about one in five kids, and those kids were also more irritable and anxious. Griffith et al. (2012) now shows the same GI-anxiety link can be spotted right in primary-care notes before specialty referral.

If you are a BCBA in a clinic or school, ask parents about early GP visits. Frequent cries of "tummy hurts," "won’t eat," or "never sleeps" are low-tech screeners. When you hear that history, pair your autism assessment with a referral to GI or sleep clinics as needed. Acting on these common, visible problems can shorten the road to diagnosis and give you clearer behavior baselines to treat.