Having an autistic child is not something to be feared. Parents can detect early symptoms of autism when their brains are still malleable. The sooner a child is treated then the higher the likelihood of success.
What to watch out for parents:
• No big smiles or other cheerful expression at 6 months.
• Not responding share of voice, smiles, or other facial expression at age 9 months.
• No babbling at age 12 months.
• No control of words at the age of 16 months.
• Can not say two words phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months.
• Loss of any speech or social skills at any age.
Autism is also known as a very complex developmental disorder in children, usually show symptoms before the child was three years old. In fact, now made screening method for infants aged one year.
Now, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, developed a checklist that is given to the standard tests at the age of one year. The checklist of 24 items it only takes five minutes to complete, but it is cheap way to help physicians detect Autism Syndrome Disorder, and the problems speaking or developmental delay.
The findings are published in an article in the 28 April online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.
The checklist is now available online. And parents or caregivers to check their child's communication skills, from babbling and first words through eye contact. "Given the lack of universal screening for the baby to the disorder at 12 months, this program can be implemented by every pediatrician, almost no cost, in helping to identify children with developmental delay," said Karen Pierce, an assistant professor at UC San Diego Department of neuroscience , who led the research. "Importantly, parents can help their children earlier."
In this study involved 137 physicians. They tested 10,479 children aged one year. "Parents or caregivers were given a short questionnaire with questions" about the child's eye contact, voice, words, movement, object recognition, and other forms of communication appropriate to their age, "the university said in a news release.
A total of 184 infants failed the screening and referred for further testing and treatment. Treatment for those who need it are considered average at the age of 19 months.
"There is extensive evidence that early therapy can have a positive impact on brain development," said Pierce.
"The opportunity to diagnose and begin treatment for autism that is when the child's first birthday because it has great potential to change the outcome for children with the disorder." "The checklist has a predictive value of 75 percent," said the researcher.
Suzanne Lanthier, Executive Director of Autism Speaks Canada, described the research as very positive. "Currently there are no drugs, no magic or magic pill that will reduce the symptoms of autism. The sooner we give the therapy of children and provide better treatment opportunities, the result was more successful," said Lanthier.
About five years ago, Lanthier said the specialist can diagnose children with autism at age three, or four years. But now some experts to diagnose as early as possible at the age of 18 months and in some cases can be detected early. "We can recognize the early warning signs," said Lanthier.
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening children with autism at the age of 18 to 24 months, but relatively few physicians do so.
The study's authors cautioned that the checklist will not catch all cases of autism, such as who first appears in older children. "But because it is free and easy to use, all pediatricians need to quickly start using it," said Alison Singer, President of Autism Science Foundation.
A very prominent symptom of autism is the attitude of children who tend not to care about the environment and people around him, as if refusing to communicate and interact, as well as live in his own world. Children with autism also have difficulty in understanding the language and communicate verbally.
Autism can happen to anybody, knows no ethnic, national, social and economic conditions, and intellectual state of the parent. Comparisons between boys and girls who have autistic disorder is 4:1. Intelligence of autistic children vary greatly, from very bright to very less intelligent.
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