The cutting edge in services for people with autism.

Eto et al. (1992) asked top autism experts what the field needed next. They used a simple survey. The experts looked back at past wins and ahead at worries.

No new kids were tested. No new therapy was tried. The paper is a snapshot of expert opinion in 1992.

The experts said, "Stop inventing brand-new programs. Make the ones we have bigger and better."

They saw the next frontier as polish, not invention.

Three decades later, Vassos et al. (2023) echoed the same line. Their big scoping review of 31 studies said the field still needs to refine, not reinvent, transition services for young adults.

Lineberry et al. (2023) turned the 1992 expert call into action. They used a Delphi survey to write 11 concrete service standards for UK adults after diagnosis. The 1992 paper dreamed it; the 2023 paper did it.

Vivanti et al. (2018) narrowed the lens to early intervention. They listed six research steps—like feasibility tests and stakeholder teams—that mirror the 1992 "refine and expand" theme, just for toddlers instead of all ages.

If you run an autism program, think polish before new paint. Use the 11 Delphi standards from Lineberry et al. (2023) to audit your intake process. Borrow the six-step checklist from Vivanti et al. (2018) to tighten your early-intervention flow. The field’s own roadmap—written in 1992—still says make what you have work better, not start from scratch.