I agree that that the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT) may be helpful, but isn't the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) meant for children over 4 years old?

Here is a brief roundup of outreach resources to help inform parents about ASD -
- CDC summary of the DSM5 criteria for ASD and "Learn the signs. Act early." campaign
- Understood.org... search for 'ASD' or 'autism'
- wrightslaw... scroll down to select 'Autism Spectrum' in the columnar list of Topics in the left margin
- SENG YouTube videoThe Misdiagnosis of Gifted Children and book Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, Ocd, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) - US National Library of Medicine (NLM) - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Measurement Issues: Screening and diagnostic instruments for autism spectrum disorders – lessons from research and practice
Originally Posted by NCBI NLM NIH author manuscript
The items that best discriminated between children with ASD and children with other developmental problems were those that measured joint attention behaviours (pointing, bringing things to show), social relatedness (interest in other children, imitation) and communication (response to name).