For decades, autism has been understood through labels — a child is either diagnosed or not, based on how they present at a given point in time. But research covered in the Spectrum section of The Transmitter shows that this approach is increasingly being questioned.
Not "Does this child have autism?"
But "How is this child's development unfolding over time?"
Development is not static
Longitudinal research — following children across months and years — shows that autism is not a fixed state. Instead, children follow distinct developmental trajectories:
- Some progress steadily
- Some show uneven development across domains
- Some improve significantly over time
- Some show shifts or regression
"Even when two children receive the same diagnosis, their developmental paths can look entirely different — making a single label insufficient to explain a child's development."
The limitation of labels
A diagnosis captures a snapshot — how a child behaves in a structured setting at one moment. But as Spectrum research highlights, a snapshot cannot explain:
- How development has evolved
- Which abilities are changing
- How different domains interact over time
Two children with the same label may have very different developmental patterns, yet appear identical within a diagnostic category. This is why researchers are moving beyond labels toward trajectory-based understanding.
With FAIRY, your child is assessed as per WHO's ICF framework, powered by DSM-5, and enriched by domain-level behavioural patterns — to better support your little one.
What trajectories reveal
When development is tracked over time, patterns begin to emerge that labels cannot capture:
Timing
When developmental differences first appear — sometimes months before social signs become obvious.
Rate
How quickly or slowly specific skills are being acquired across different developmental domains.
Domain variation
How motor, communication and social interaction develop differently within the same child.
Domain interaction
How changes in one area — like motor development — may influence another, such as social engagement.
For instance, early motor differences may influence later social engagement, or communication delays may emerge after otherwise typical early development. These insights are only visible when development is viewed as a dynamic process, not a fixed outcome.
The framework that supports this shift: ICF-CY
This move toward trajectories is closely aligned with frameworks like the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY). ICF-CY does not focus on diagnosis alone. Instead, it looks at:
Body Functions & Structures
How the child's body systems function — neurological, motor, sensory and cognitive.
Activities
What a child can do — the tasks and actions they perform in everyday life.
Participation
How a child engages with the world — in play, learning, communication and relationships.
Environmental Context
How the child's surroundings — home, family, culture — shape and influence their development.
Importantly, ICF-CY treats development as multidimensional and evolving, rather than reducing a child to a single label. This makes it particularly relevant to autism, where development often varies across domains and over time.
From diagnosis to developmental understanding
The shift in research reflects a deeper change: autism is not just something to identify, it is something to understand across time. What matters is not only whether a child meets criteria, but:
- How abilities are emerging
- How different domains influence each other
- How development changes across contexts
Where FAIRY fits into this shift
This is where FAIRY's video-based developmental assessment — built on ICF-CY principles — becomes meaningful. FAIRY allows parents to capture short, structured videos of their child in natural home environments, across multiple activities and time points. These observations are then interpreted at a domain level, aligned with how development is understood within ICF-CY — not just as a diagnosis, but as functioning across areas like movement, communication and interaction.
By combining real-world observation, domain-level analysis and multiple time-point inputs, FAIRY enables a view of development that is closer to what research now emphasises:
"Understanding patterns and trajectories — not just assigning labels."
The bigger shift
The move from labels to trajectories is not about removing diagnosis. It is about making developmental understanding more accurate and meaningful. Because when we shift from asking:
From: "What diagnosis does this child have?"
To: "How is this child developing?"
We move closer to earlier insight, better-aligned support, and a truer understanding of each child's journey. And that is the direction autism research — and increasingly, practice — is moving toward.
With the preliminary assessment, you can discuss all your concerns with the doctor while also understanding whether an advanced assessment may be needed.