Getting the timing right. Autistic adolescents reflect on the value of an early diagnosis (opens in new tab)

IntroductionIn Western countries, autism diagnoses are increasingly assigned in the first years of life. But is earlier necessarily better? Despite potential benefits, autistic infants and toddlers cannot participate in these discussions. In the ethical debate on early autism diagnosis, this raises tensions between parental duties and rights, and the child’s developing autonomy.MethodsTo mend the lack of autistic voices in this debate, we queried a diverse group of 18 autistic adolescents (ag...