A health care provider experienced in diagnosing and treating autism is usually needed to make the actual diagnosis.

Researchers hope to find a way to diagnose autism through brain scans.

Take a look at the steps involved in diagnosing autism.

Other irrelevant items were removed in order to increase the interview's ability to diagnose autism at a younger age.

But the standards used to diagnose full-spectrum autism were the same in both age groups, he said.

Some people suggested that the centers might diagnose autism so families would receive more generous state assistance.

"We're not sure whether there is a real increase, or we are doing a better job diagnosing autism," he said.

Are we diagnosing autism more easily, or are cases truly soaring?

Doctors diagnosed autism in her older son, Cameron, just before he turned 3.

He also developed the first checklist for diagnosing autism.