Often times, parents of children with autism report how they helplessly watched their children “slip away.” At some point the children stop making eye contact regularly or they stop being as responsive as they used to be. Sadly, physicians do not always detect the beginning signs or disregard the parents’ worries—prolonging the time before a treatment programs can be found and begun. (See: A Mom’s Journey to Diagnose and Treat Her Autistic Son) The earlier autism is detected, the better the chances are of a child improving with treatment—and in some cases, living a more normal life. That’s why researchers have identified behaviors to help parents and pediatricians diagnose children as young as four months. This is especially important since most children with autism aren’t diagnosed until age three, and then must wait up to two years, in some cities, to get into a treatment program. Geraldine Dawson, PhD, is the director of the University of Washington Autism Center and, is not only pioneering ground-breaking autism research, but she is also on the board of First Signs, Inc. a nonprofit championing early autism detection.
“We seek to discover early risk factors for autism, including behavioral, psycho-physiological, and neurobiological indices that can further distinguish toddlers with autism from children with developmental delay and those with typical development. Such research will enhance our ability to recognize autism early in life so that children with autism can be helped as early as possible, and their long-term outcome can be improved,” explains Dawson.
Dawson’s research in early detection is critical as experts stress that behavioral therapy can drastically improve autistic symptoms, but makes the biggest difference in children four years and younger. Autism is still such a mystery, but what has been learned, is that some children can remarkably improve their language and social skills with therapy. Sadly, after four years, if a child is not treated, the disorder may have progressed too strongly, making it much harder to reach a child. That’s not to say that therapy won’t help older children, it just requires much more time and patience. Understandably, the goal now is early detection. Since pediatricians are often stretched for time, and current autism assessment tests are for two-years-olds, pediatricians don’t always notice autism in the first year. Parents, therefore, need to be empowered, something Dawson and First Signs are trying to do.
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