By Jasen Lee
AHN – Canadian scientists say a small study indicates autism could potentially be spotted at an earlier age in children.
Researchers say effective therapy could begin sooner if autism is
diagnosed in the first year of a child’s life.
Autism is typically recognized between the ages of 2 and 3.
The report studied 150 infants at several Canadian hospitals who were
already at a higher risk of developing the mysterious condition.
The chances of parents who already have a child with autism having
another one is 5 to 10 percent, nearly 50 times higher than other familes.
The two-year study published in the April-May edition of the
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience identified a list of
common behavioral traits found in the 19 infants who actually went on to
develop autism.
Researchers noticed a variety of tell tale signs of autism in young infants compared to their healthy counterparts.
Speaking of this latest information, researcher Dr. Wendy Roberts
says, “It puts pressure on the scientific community to come up with
treatments for children under 3.”
However, critics advise caution to avoid unreasonable expectations.
They say further study needs to be conducted and this new research should be considered preliminary until more evidence is gathered.