Predictors of Age of Diagnosis for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of a Consistent Source of Medical Care, Race, and Condition Severity.

The team looked at survey answers from families who have a child with autism.

They wanted to know what helps kids get diagnosed earlier.

They checked if steady doctor visits, race, and autism severity changed the age of diagnosis.

White children who saw the same doctor every year were diagnosed earlier than White children without that steady care.

Black children did not get diagnosed any faster even when they had the same steady doctor.

Autism severity mattered for both groups; more obvious signs led to earlier diagnosis.

Stewart et al. (2018) extends this story. After diagnosis, families waited almost three more years to start funded ABA, and race did not predict that wait.

Diemer et al. (2023) shows the same pattern for toddlers in Early Head Start: Black and Hispanic children are less likely to receive any developmental evaluation by age three.

Together the three papers paint one picture: race blocks entry at every door—first evaluation, then diagnosis, then therapy—even when families have insurance or a regular doctor.

You can’t fix what you don’t measure. When you assess a new client, note how long the family waited and how many doors they knocked on. If the child is Black, double-check that medical records are complete; families may have been skipped even with steady care. Share this data with pediatricians and referral sources to push for universal screening, not just “good” offices.