Dasion’s findings highlight the limitations of current caregiver-report instruments and indicate other avenues for improving ASD screening and diagnostic tools.

Traditionally, doctors look at the child's developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis. ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older. Dasion’s GUL based ASD detection would help many children receive more concrete diagnostic information earlier.