The way we think about Autism Spectrum Disorder has changed a bit over the last 30 years, this newer research has allowed us to better understand this complex disorder. The cause of ASD is too complex to fit into any one category, however research has shown that there are a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors that may contribute to ASD.
In the article titled "Early Treatment for Autism Is Critical, New Report Says", Dr. Perri Klass informs readers about the modern diagnostic and treatment methods being utilized to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder. We hear about developmental disorders quite frequently in society, but sometimes news reports don’t quite properly explain the research behind these disorders, Dr. Klass however, provides us with data from the new clinical report on autism put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Klass tells us about how new research has led to a goal of trying to diagnose ASD's at a younger age, and well before 2 years old. The average age that ASD's are diagnosed at now is 4 years old. The report also promotes pediatricians to suggest early intervention to families by providing referrals to treatment, the idea is that treatment should begin before a diagnosis is reached because of how long the wait may be for a appointment may be at a specialty clinic. The article also states how behavioral therapies should be addressed first in the treatment of ASD's before proceeding to medications. It is also explained in the article that those children who have been diagnosed at an earlier age have more optimal outcomes in terms of receiving treatment.
This research reminded me of Professor Margaret Guy's research seminar I attended recently. Professor Margaret Guy from Loyola University Chicago has conducted research on the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD. In "Neural correlates of face processing in etiologically-distinct 12-month-old infants at high-risk of autism spectrum disorder", Professor Guy and her colleagues conduct research on infants ASIB's (those who have a relative with ASD and show milder symptoms), infants with Fragile X Syndrome, which are those at risk for ASD. Participants were shown faces a toys and ERP's were measured in these infants to view amplitude responses. The ASIB groups showed more responses in the N290 neural correlate when viewing faces and toys, whereas, those with FXS viewed faces more. At the end of the research, many of the participants were diagnosed with ASD and others were not.
This research on certain behavioral symptoms viewed in participants and knowing whether the participant was diagnosed or not may help inform future diagnostic procedures for infants at risk of an ASD. This research can help develop better diagnostic methods for ASD at earlier stages of life such as 12-months old, which according to Dr. Klass's article would be an optimal time to receive a diagnosis for ASD rather than later in life.
References:
Guy, M. W., Richards, J. E., Tonnsen, B. L., & Roberts, J. E. (2018). Neural
correlates of face processing in etiologically-distinct 12-month-old infants at high-risk of autism spectrum disorder. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 29, 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2017.03.002
Klass, P. (2020, January 6). Early Treatment for Autism Is Critical, New Report Says. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/well/family/early-treatment-for-autism-is-critical-new-report-says.html?searchResultPosition=13
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