Purpose: Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) supports timely intervention, yet little is known about parents' consultation patterns before diagnosis. This study examined these patterns according to the diagnostic period. Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis used social network analysis (SNA) to compare consultation networks by diagnostic period among 59 parents of children aged 7 years or younger with ASD. The diagnostic period was defined as the interval from the parents' first recognition of developmental concerns to the ASD diagnosis and was categorized as ≤4 months or >4 months. Parents identified up to five professional institutions they had consulted before the diagnosis and reported their consultation frequency. Parent-institution two-mode data were transformed into one-mode institution networks. Results: The shorter diagnostic-period group showed a smaller and more focused consultation pattern, whereas the longer diagnostic-period group showed more links and greater inclusiveness. Pediatric clinics were central in both groups, and regular daycare centers had the highest betweenness centrality in the shorter group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that daycare settings are potential sites for the future evaluation of structured screening and referral-guidance strategies involving nurses, therapists, and other early screening personnel.

https://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2026.35.3.299