Like other conditions, it appears that early detection and treatment can be used to curb the later onset of autism symptoms in infants as young as six months old, according to a study done by the UC Davis MIND Institute.
Titled "Autism treatment in the first year of life: A pilot study of Infant Start, a parent-implemented intervention for symptomatic infants," the study involved the administration of a treatment called Infant Start to seven babies between six and 15 months old. The treatment period lasted for six months and Infant Start was administered by the parents of the babies.
Authored by Sally J. Rogers and Sally Ozonoff, both Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences professors at UC Davis, the study was published online Monday in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. According to it, out of the seven children who were treated with Infant Start, six were able to catch up to learning and language skills by the time they were two or three years old. Most of the children with autism spectrum disorders don't receive diagnosis by then.
Infant Start was based off the Early Start Denver Model intervention that Rogers developed with Geraldine Dawson, a professor of pediatrics, psychology, and psychiatry at Duke University. It involved focusing on interactions with the infant to help develop and support individual needs and interests, creating enjoyable social routines that boost learning opportunities for the child.
Treatment was made up of 12 one-hour sessions between parents and their children, followed by a maintenance period of six weeks that involved visits twice a week. Further assessments were made after 24 and 36 months.
Larger studies are necessary to further prove the results of Rogers and Ozonoff's work but this study has significance because it shows that intervention can be done by parents themselves as part of the family's everyday routine.
Rogers, however, noted that she's not looking for a cure for autism. Instead, the study aims more to reduce the level of disability that has been associated with autism spectrum disorders. "My goal is for children and adults with autism symptoms to be able to participate successfully in everyday life and in all aspects of the community in which they want to participate: to have satisfying work, recreation, and relationships, education that meets their needs and goals, a circle of people they love, and to be generally happy with their lives," she explained.
Aside from Rogers and Ozonoff, the study was authored by Laurie Vismara, A.L. Wagner, Gregory Young, and C. McCormick. Research funding was provided through grants awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health.
