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Posted by Melissa Hincha-Ownby Jun 10, 2008 |
Although there are many disagreements among parents and professionals in the autism community, a common agreement is that early identification of an autism spectrum disorder is important. If a child is suspected to have autism, the earlier that the parents know, the better the outcome usually is.
The Early Autism Study (EAS), run by McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been researching autism spectrum disorders and have determined certain characteristics that are present in children with autism at a young age. The study works with infants who are at risk for autism due to a sibling member having been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
According to the EAS website, “This study is a longitudinal study in which full siblings of individuals with autism, and a control group of low-risk babies, are tested from three months of age in order to identify early social perceptual and social cognitive delays that predict later autism diagnoses.”
The results of the study are meant to be used as a screening tool and not an elaborate and in-depth diagnostic evaluation. The tests are objective and do not require an autism professional’s personal experience and judgment in order to determine the results.
In an article published in Medical News Today, Mel Rutherford, an assist professor of psychology at McMaster University said “It appears that children with autism develop normally for six months, and then begin developing atypically. As typical children begin to accelerate in social development, the child with autism makes only minor gains."
By focusing on children this young, the team at McMaster University hopes to provide diagnosticians with an objective tools that can be used on children before they reach an age where autism becomes more distinguishable.
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