Pediatricians Urge Early Testing For Autism

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a report calling on parents to be extra observant for babies under a year to look for possible signs of autism.

“Red Flags” that are absolute indications for immediate evaluation include: no babbling or pointing or other gesture by 12 months; no single words by 16 months; no two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months; and loss of language or social skills at any age. Early intervention can make a huge difference in the child’s prognosis. “Autism doesn’t go away, but therapy can help the child cope in regular environments,” said Chris Plauche Johnson, MD, MEd, FAAP, and co-author of the reports. “It helps children want to learn and communicate.”

Educational strategies and associated therapies, which are the cornerstones of treatment for ASDs, are reviewed in the second AAP clinical report, “Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Early intervention is crucial for effective treatment. The report strongly advises intervention as soon as an ASD diagnosis is seriously considered rather than deferring until a definitive diagnosis is made. The child should be actively engaged in intensive intervention at least 25 hours per week, 12 months per year with a low student-to-teacher ratio allowing for sufficient one-on-one time. Parents should also be included.

Let me say upfront that I have no idea what causes autism. I have no evidence that other treatments work (and have reason to be skeptical of several). All I can say is that from my personal experience early detection and treatment may in fact be making a crucial difference in my son's development.

Autism is not a disease that can be "cured". It's a neurological condition that, with certain interventions, may become less severe. To make it more complicated, autistic disorders fall along a wide spectrum of conditions. So even if a child doesn't exhibit "classic" symptoms, he or she may still fall somewhere along that spectrum. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who wonder if the current level of attention that this is getting is "overblown".

It is not. I urge any and all parents of newborns to learn as much as they can about autism and watch your little ones closely. Better to safe than to lose precious time. My four year old was completely without speech (outside of babbling) up until about six months ago. Now he repeats anything you say and is actually beginning to use some speech in a functional manner. We are very encouraged and guardedly optimistic. His eye contact and interaction have greatly improved. He is engaged much of the time.

And he has been receiving treatment since before he turned two.

Some will argue that the kind of treatment recommended by the link in the blockquote doesn't necessarily work, rather that for certain kids autism just kind of "gets better" over time with or without it. I work closely with Kevin's therapists and my wife and I engage in many of the techniques at home. I personally believe it is making a difference. We are also very lucky to live in a school district that has been very supportive (though we always have to advocate for the services he has receives) and have access to excellent therapists outside of school. It also helps that we had an evaluation from the University of Connecticut which is doing a study on autism among siblings.

Bottom line: if you suspect at all that your child may be on the autistic spectrum the sooner you act on it the better. I'm not trying to scare people, but I can't stress this enough. You don't get this critical time back once it's gone.