According to a new study that questions previous assumptions about the progression of autism, the symptoms of this particular condition tend to emerge in children after six months of age, with a loss of social and communications skills that is more common and more subtle than previously thought.
At six months, children with autism spectrum disorder demonstrated behavior similar to other children, gazing at faces, sharing smiles, and vocalizing with similar frequency, researchers reported online in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The age of autism is traditionally described as occurring in one of two patterns.
In one onset prototype, children show abnormalities in social and communicative development in the first year or so of life. The most common initial symptom recognized by parents is delayed speech development, but a growing body of literature suggests that social and nonverbal communicative delays predate the language abnormalities that typically lead to diagnosis.
According to research, screening should be repeated through early childhood. If concerning signs of delay associated with ASD are observed in a child who scores normally on standardized tests, further assessment is warranted.
If parents aren’t seeing their children steadily develop new skills, they should talk to their pediatrician or contact their local early intervention program.
Image Credits: pregnancyandbaby, omaha, currentincarmel
