Early concerns in parents of infants at risk for autism

Aim To examine parental concerns about children at increased familial risk (i.e. high risk) of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early infancy. Method ASD‐related and general parental concerns were prospectively collected for 76 infants at ages 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months. Outcome classification was determined at 36 months. Analyses included generalized linear mixed models and qualitative evaluation of parental concerns in relation to risk status (high vs low risk) and outcome classification within the high‐risk group (atypically developing vs typically developing) over time. Results Most parents had no concerns at 1.5 (high risk 71%, low risk 87%) and 3 months (high risk 77%, low risk 86%). Beginning at 6 months, parents of high‐risk infants reported more ASD‐related (p