Beyond the "Gold Standard": Improvements and Advancements in Autism Diagnosis

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to be one of the most intricate and diverse neurodevelopmental disorders, exhibiting considerable diversity among individuals and settings. Despite the use of "gold-standard" diagnostic tools like the ADOS-2, current diagnostic methods face several challenges; such as false negatives, issues with ecological validity and difficulties in diagnosis in individuals with comorbid conditions. Alongside this, additional factors such as masking and camouflaging confound the clinical picture, sometimes obscuring symptoms until later in life. However, diagnostic methods specifically tailored for adults remain more limited compared to the established tools available for children. To improve the accuracy and timeliness of diagnoses, it is crucial to address these diagnostic limitations.This Research Topic aims to assess the shortcomings of existing ASD diagnostic frameworks while highlighting innovative approaches to overcome these limitations. We are interested in contributions that explore the impacts of diagnostic overshadowing, cultural biases, and the under-recognition of autism in females and gender-diverse individuals in both research and clinical practice. The goal is to identify areas contributing to misdiagnosis or under-diagnosis and to advocate for methodological and therapeutic advancements that enhance diagnostic accuracy. Submissions may also discuss emerging approaches, such as digital phenotyping, longitudinal studies, or community-based diagnostic innovations, that that go beyond the best tools we have now and move toward more inclusive and representative models.To gather further insights into the complexities and advancements in ASD diagnosis, we welcome original research, reviews, case series and perspectives addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Clinical studies examining the ecological validity and reliability of diagnostic instruments;- Investigations into diagnostic overshadowing, masking, and camouflaging;- Cross-cultural or gender-specific analyses of diagnostic disparities;- Longitudinal or developmental methodologies for identifying early indicators;- Methodological advancements such as digital phenotyping or community-informed evaluations;- Commentaries or viewpoints on the synthesis of nuanced clinical judgment with standardized metrics. Topic editors: Nihit Gupta, Mayank Gupta, Kerim M. Munir Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74206/beyond-the-gold-standard-improvements-and-advancements-in-autism-diagnosis