Study finds many children with autism are diagnosed late

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Signs of autism can often be detected before a child is 3 years old. But a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that over half of children with autism are not diagnosed until after they are age 5.

The delay can be crucial because the sooner autism is detected, the better chance a child has of reaching his or her full potential.

Half of all autistic children receive medication as treatment. Most often those medications are stimulants, or anti-anxiety and mood stabilizing drugs. But fewer than half received behavioral therapy, the most well-established and effective treatment for autism recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.