A prospective study of 6-month-old infants at high genetic risk for autism identified weak head and neck control as a red flag for autism spectrum disorder and language and/or social developmental delays. Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute concluded that a simple "pull-to-sit" task could be added to existing developmental screenings at pediatric well visits to improve early detection of developmental delays.

Although previous studies have shown that head lag indicates developmental delays in children with cerebral palsy and preterm infants, postural control in infants at risk for ASD had not been examined. Typically developing infants achieve pull-to-sit postural control by age 4 months. A separate study found that motor delay increases as children with ASD near their third birthdays. •