Early Signs of Autism Identified in Infants
Early Signs of Autism Identified in Infants
Findings Could Lead to More Effective Treatment
April 29, 2005 -- Canadian researchers say they can recognize the early signs of autism in children as young as 6 months old, and they hope their findings will lead to better early treatments for the disorder.
In their ongoing study that now includes autism centers across 14 cities in Canada and the U.S., the researchers are following the progression of younger siblings of children with autism.
According to the National Alliance for Autism Research, a child born into a family in which an older child has been diagnosed with autism is 50 times more likely to develop the disorder than a child with no afflicted siblings.
In this study, researchers show that by age 1, siblings who are later diagnosed with autism may be distinguished from other siblings by early developmental behaviors.
"This is groundbreaking work that is pushing the frontier of what we know about the biological nature of autism, and why it emerges so early in life," says researcher Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, MD, of Ontario's McMaster University. "Our hope is that it will lead to the development of new and earlier treatments that could make a huge difference for these children."
Autism is typically diagnosed in children around the age of 2 or 3 years, but parents often have concerns about developmental delays much earlier. There is strong evidence that autism has its origin in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life, write the authors.
In an effort to better understand the early signs of autism, Zwaigenbaum and colleagues have been observing more than 200 younger siblings of children with autism, many of whom have been followed from birth.
They developed a 16-point observational checklist called the Autism Observational Scale designed to map the development of infants as young as 6 months.
Specific markers include making infrequent eye contact, not smiling in response to smiles from others, and, in older children, exhibiting delayed language skills.
Even as early as 6 months of age, the researchers found that certain behaviors tended to distinguish siblings later diagnosed with autism from siblings who developed normally. These behaviors included passivity and a decreased activity level at 6 months of age, followed by extreme irritability, a tendency to fixate on objects, reduced social interaction, and lack of facial expression.
Early Signs of Autism Identified in Infants
Findings Could Lead to More Effective Treatment
April 29, 2005 -- Canadian researchers say they can recognize the early signs of autism in children as young as 6 months old, and they hope their findings will lead to better early treatments for the disorder.
In their ongoing study that now includes autism centers across 14 cities in Canada and the U.S., the researchers are following the progression of younger siblings of children with autism.
According to the National Alliance for Autism Research, a child born into a family in which an older child has been diagnosed with autism is 50 times more likely to develop the disorder than a child with no afflicted siblings.
In this study, researchers show that by age 1, siblings who are later diagnosed with autism may be distinguished from other siblings by early developmental behaviors.
"This is groundbreaking work that is pushing the frontier of what we know about the biological nature of autism, and why it emerges so early in life," says researcher Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, MD, of Ontario's McMaster University. "Our hope is that it will lead to the development of new and earlier treatments that could make a huge difference for these children."
High-Risk Kids Followed From Birth
Autism is typically diagnosed in children around the age of 2 or 3 years, but parents often have concerns about developmental delays much earlier. There is strong evidence that autism has its origin in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life, write the authors.
In an effort to better understand the early signs of autism, Zwaigenbaum and colleagues have been observing more than 200 younger siblings of children with autism, many of whom have been followed from birth.
They developed a 16-point observational checklist called the Autism Observational Scale designed to map the development of infants as young as 6 months.
Specific markers include making infrequent eye contact, not smiling in response to smiles from others, and, in older children, exhibiting delayed language skills.
Even as early as 6 months of age, the researchers found that certain behaviors tended to distinguish siblings later diagnosed with autism from siblings who developed normally. These behaviors included passivity and a decreased activity level at 6 months of age, followed by extreme irritability, a tendency to fixate on objects, reduced social interaction, and lack of facial expression.
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