Experts urge autism screening by age 2
Categories: Babies, Toddlers, Health & safety, In the news, Gadgets & tech
If the American Academy of Pediatrics gets their wish, all children will be screened for autism twice before their 2nd birthday-once at their 18 month check-up and again at the 24 month one.
Although there is currently no cure of autism, a developmental disorder affecting 1 in 150 children in the U.S., early intervention can lessen the severity. Treatment for autism with the very young involves a lot of playing with toys, working on sharing and socializing, as well as practicing eye contact and other social skills autistic children tend to avoid.
Children not being diagnosed with the disorder until well past the preschool years has been common. One mother of a girl who didn't smile, spoke in a very formal manner and began repeating the last word or syllable of her sentences recalls what professionals said about her child, "I took her to a therapist and they said she was just very sensitive and very intense and very creative."
Minor forms of autism is the most likely to be overlooked and is the most treatable with early intervention. Some early signs of autism in young children include:
However, as with all developmental milestones, variation is not uncommon and shouldn't cause undue alarm. My 2nd son had a regression in language and went from saying 8 words to just pointing and grunting. At around 3, he just started talking. (I think he just wanted to enjoy whatever quiet he could find in our noisy house.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cathy 10-31-2007 @ 2:11PM
One reason I love my kids' pediatrician is that he does this already. Not explicitly, but I can tell from the questions he's asking that it's one thing he's looking out for. And he does it way earlier than 18 months, asking if baby smiles, points, etc. - like you said, early intervention is key.
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