Temperament in the first 2 years of life in infants at high-risk for autism spectrum disorders.

Researchers asked parents to rate the temperament of babies who have an older sibling with autism.

These high-risk infants were tracked from 6 to 24 months.

The team wanted to see if early temperament traits predict later autism diagnosis.

High-risk babies showed less Surgency and Effortful Control.

The babies later diagnosed with autism were extra sensitive to sights and sounds.

They also showed more negative mood and were harder to cuddle after 12 months.

Beck et al. (2021) extends this work by showing the FYI 2.0 screener also picks up social-communication and sensory quirks at 12 months.

Hatton et al. (2004) came first and proved autism can be reliably diagnosed by age 2, so the temperament flags line up with stable early diagnosis.

Baker et al. (2025) look at rapid eye-movement deficits in parents and kids, hinting that different biological markers may sit in the same families.

You can watch for two parent-noticed red flags after the first birthday: high perceptual sensitivity and low cuddliness.

Add the free FYI 2.0 items to your intake to catch the same traits with a checklist.

Spotting these signs early lets you start routines that reduce sensory overload and build joint attention before autism is formally diagnosed.