Don’t Be Afraid Learn The 16 Early Signs Of Autism
“It’s going to be a problem eventually that you will have to deal with. Don’t be afraind. Don’t let that stop you from helping your child.” Jacobi’s mom
Go to BabyNavigator.com to find tools and resources on what every parents needs to know about early learning. Because, what you do and say can make all the difference.
Will The Test Lead To Earlier Asd Diagnosis
Dr. Rabbani comments on the significance of the findings, saying, Our discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention. We hope the tests will also reveal new causative factors.
With further testing we may reveal specific plasma and urinary profiles or fingerprints of compounds with damaging modifications.
Dr. Naila Rabbani
This may help us improve the diagnosis of ASD, she adds, and point the way to new causes of ASD.
But Dr. Max Davie an assistant officer for health promotion at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the U.K. has expressed skepticism about such a test, saying, This is a promising area, however this is a very long way indeed from a test for autism.’
He adds, The analysis was derived from children whose ages averaged 78, so there is no data to indicate that very young children will have the same metabolic pattern and that the results found would be reproducible in infants.
While we applaud the arrival of this interesting area of research, says Dr. Davie, it is important that it is not adopted with too much enthusiasm. He cautions that applying the test to a large population may produce a large number of false positives, causing unnecessary worry.
How Early Can You And Should You Diagnose Autism
- By Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Autism is common. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 1 out of every 59 children has been diagnosed with autism. Thats a marked rise from 2000, when only 1 in 150 children had been diagnosed with autism.
There is a lot we dont know about autism, such as exactly what causes it or why it is becoming more common. But one thing we do know is that the earlier we start treating it, the better. Communication and social skills are built very early. We have our best chance of improving things if we work within that natural window. Thats why there has been a steady push toward making the diagnosis as early as possible.
It is not easy for parents to hear that their child has, or might have, autism. Even when there are worries about the childs development, it is natural to hope that a child is just a late bloomer, or a bit quirky. And indeed, some children are late bloomers, or quirky, or have an entirely different problem with their development. So how early can you reliably diagnose autism?
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Prenatal Test For Autism
Prenatal genetic testing for autism spectrum disorders are clinically available in countries like the US and Taiwan. A study titled Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prenatal Genetic Testing and Abortion Decision-Making among Taiwanese Mothers of Affected Children of Taiwanese mothers suggests about two-thirds of participants would undergo prenatal genetic testing for autism and more than half would terminate a pregnancy showing signs of autism.
One can imagine the other half, choosing not to terminate the hypothetical pregnancy, were plagued with questoins and uncertainty. If and whenand scientists believe this is in the near futurereliable screening for autism becomes available, will these tests become routine? Online forums spell out the moral wrestling of ending a pregnancy after genetic testing finds fetal abnormalities. If a prenatal test for autism becomes routine, how will women deal with finding out their fetus could be on the spectrum?
How Do You Know If Your Baby Has Fragile X After Hes Born
Signs and symptoms of fragile X can be mild or serious. At first, the only sign or symptom you may notice in your baby is a large head. But as he grows, common signs and symptoms can include:
Developmental signs and symptoms
- Learning problems, especially for boys
- Developmental delays in sitting, crawling or walking
- Problems with speech and language, especially for boys
Social or behavior signs and symptoms
- Not making eye contact
- Being afraid in new situations
- Being aggressive for boys
- Being very shy for girls
- Being bothered by certain sensations, such as bright light, loud noises or the way something feels
- Not wanting to be touched
Physical signs and symptoms
- Long face, ears and chin
- Loose, flexible jointsFlat feet
- Large testicles after puberty for boys
- Seizures in about 15 out of 100 boys and 5 out of 100 girls
If your baby has any of these signs or symptoms, or if you have a family history of fragile X or premutation, tell your babys health care provider. Your baby can get a blood test for fragile X.
Boys with fragile X syndrome usually are diagnosed at around age 3. Because girls have less serious symptoms, theyre usually diagnosed a little later, around age 3½.
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When Does Diagnosis Occur Now
Diagnosis for autism can occur at a variety of ages. Children as young as 12 months can show behaviours that are synonymous with the disorder .
Usually children with autism will have missed certain developmental milestones by the time they are 18 months to 24 months old .
People on the high functioning end of the spectrum may not be confirmed as autistic until later in childhood, in their teens, or even into adulthood. Some may never be diagnosed.
For a checklist to help with diagnosis in young children see:
What Causes Fragile X Syndrome
Fragile X syndrome is inherited. This means its passed from parent to child through genes. A gene is a part of your bodys cells that stores instructions for the way your body grows and works. Genes are stored in structures called chromosomes. Everyone has 23 pairs of chromosomes, or 46 in all. For each pair, you get one chromosome from your mother and one from your father.
Sometimes the instructions in genes change. This is called a gene change or a mutation. Parents can pass gene changes to their children. Sometimes a gene change can cause a gene to not work correctly. Sometimes it can cause birth defects or other health conditions. A birth defect is a health condition that is present in a baby at birth.
One set of chromosomes is responsible for your gender. This set is made up of X and Y chromosomes. Girls have two X chromosomes . Boys have an X and a Y chromosome . Fragile X syndrome is caused when part of gene repeats more than usual on the X chromosome. Everyone has at least one X chromosome. If a girl has fragile X, her second X chromosome usually is healthy. But boys with fragile X dont have a second healthy X chromosome. This is why symptoms of fragile X syndrome usually are more serious in boys than in girls.
You can have the fragile X gene change and not have clear signs of the condition. When this happens, youre called a carrier, and the condition is called fragile X premutation. If either you or your partner is a carrier, you can pass fragile X to your baby.
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What Are The Contributing Factors To Autism
Some deem it offensive to speak of high risk factors when it comes to autism. Many autistic adults express pride in who they are despite difficulties of living in a neurotypical world, they celebrate their unique talents and differently wired brains. These are mostly high functioning individuals who are successful, with fulfilling lives. Perhaps referring to factors that may contribute to an individual being diagnosed with autism, or factors raising probability are more appropriate terms to use.
So what raises the probability of having an autistic child? Despite years of research, a specific cause of autism has not been determined and there is much debate. Instead research suggests that a number of influences may elevate the chance that an individual may be on the spectrum. These influences include mostly genetic but also environmental factors.
There Currently Arent Screening Tests In Either Pregnant Women Or Through Ivf That Can Test For Autism At This Time
Autism cant be diagnosed in the womb or embryos yet because experts dont know exactly what causes it. It is a genetic condition, but there are many different combinations of genes that may result in a diagnosis of ASD.
Environmental factors may also play a part. It is not something specific that shows up in the mothers blood or the foetus cells, it is usually only characterised by early behaviour.
Experts and opponents consider that it will only be a matter of time, however.
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Very Focused On Or Attached To Unusual Objects
Babies with autism can be very focused on or attached to objects that are unusual for their age, such as long strips of cloth, utensils, chains, rocks, sticks, flowing water, or gadgets they can take apart and put together.
If your child is very focused on or attached to unusual objects, this may be an early sign of autism.
Early Detection Early Intervention
It is comforting to believe that ASD prenatal testing is mostly about helping scientists discover more about genetic variations linked to autism, and identifying autism at the earliest opportunity to allow parents to plan ahead. The argument is convincing when you consider studies examining the effect of early autism intervention, especially with regards to brain plasticity . In this study, the authors concluded that early intervention enhancing social attention, should lead to alterations in brain activity.
A prenatal test detecting autism in a fetus could provide parents with enough time to shift expectations, appeal for all the support theyll need, and prepare themselves emotionally and financially. But preparing for a life of care will also bring up the inevitable question for some parents of whether it would be easier not to embark on the journey at all.
Looking at a study about the estimation of people with Down syndrome in Europe, a reduction of 27% was estimated, meaning approximately 417 000 people with Down Syndrome were living in Europebut without elective abortions there may have been an estimated 572 000.
Another review tells us that between 71 and 100% of women decide to terminate a pregnancy with fetal Down syndrome. In countries like Denmark and Iceland the statistics are close to 100%.
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What Do The Experts Say
Professor Andrew Whitehead, an authority on childhood health research had this to say:
It is without question that a persons life would be improved if they were free from intellectual disability, if they had the facility to communicate more freely, and if they had the capacity to live independently.
To want a person to live without disability does not diminish in any way our love for people in these circumstances, nor their irreplaceable importance in our lives.
Only a minority of our community know the challenges of raising a child with significant disability. It is just plain wrong for people who have never been in this position to judge the wants and desires of those who have.
People and families with autism, as well as medical experts, would need to be involved in decisions around whether screening for ASD is a good idea or has negative genetic consequences.
We cant screen for it yet, but the consensus is that science will soon be able to find a way, and the problem will move from whether or not we can to whether or we should.
Dont Hesitate To Act Now
If you are concerned about your childs development, please dont wait and see. If your child needs an autism diagnosis, it is best to take action early and create a plan to help support your child as they age. Know that you are not alone.For any questions regarding autism diagnosis or screening, contact us today.
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New Blood Test Predicts Autism With 92 Percent Accuracy
Researchers led by those from Warwick University in the United Kingdom have developed a diagnosis test for autism that may predict it with an unprecedented level of accuracy.
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that impacts cognition, behavior, and social interaction.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that
developmental nature , ASD may have an early onset, but it typically takes a while for the first symptoms to appear. As such, early diagnosis is not usually possible.
Therefore, a chemistry-based diagnosis test for the early detection of ASD may be crucial, enabling children to receive the care that they need much earlier on. Until now, no such test was available.
But an international team of researchers led by Dr. Naila Rabbani, a reader of experimental systems biology at the University of Warwick believes that it has designed tests that can accurately detect ASD-related protein changes in the blood and urine.
The findings were published in the journal Molecular Autism.
Dr. Rabbani and her team collected and analyzed blood and urine samples from 38 children aged between 5 and 12 who had been diagnosed with ASD, as well as from 31 children who had not.
The researchers found chemical differences between children with ASD and neurotypical children that is, children without ASD.
Do Vaccinations Cause Autism Spectrum Disorder
No. Vaccines your baby gets do not cause autism. You may have heard about vaccines that contain thimerosal, a chemical that has mercury in it. Research shows that thimerosal in vaccines does not cause autism. Thimerosal is no longer used in vaccines, except in some flu shots. But you can get a thimerosal-free flu vaccine for your child if you want. If you need more information, talk to your babys provider.
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Regression Can Be Real Or Apparent
Over the past few years, there have been some debates as to whether regression, in which there is a loss of acquired communication or social skills, is a real phenomenon or an apparent one. Some have wondered whether parent reports were exaggerated.
Video records, however, combined with studies, make it clear that at least some children do in fact regress into autism while others either show signs of autism in infancy or “plateau” in their development.
A relatively new set of studies looking at the younger siblings of children with autism in their earliest months are discovering that subtle regression is quite common. While parents may notice issues such as loss of language or eye contact, researchers are noticing small losses in the areas of motor skills and response to social cues.
Such regression typically occurs before age 3. According to researcher Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, “upwards of 20% to 30% recall a period when their children lost social and communication skills in the second year of life.”
At present, no one knows exactly what causes regression, but according to developmental-behavioral pediatrician Paul Wang, We understand now that regression is common. It starts early, and it can affect many different developmental skills.”
Early Signs Of Autism In Children
Early diagnosis means early intervention. It helps provide your child a higher quality of life through teaching life skills with therapies and games.
There are certain signs to look out for while your child is growing up. They hit developmental milestones, indicating that their social, communicative and behavioral developments are on track.
Here are some of the early signs that your child may need to be further examined and tested by your physician.
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Which Treatment Strategies May Help Children With Autism
The main treatment for autism is called applied behavioral analysis . This is a behavioral program that breaks actions and behaviors down into small steps. It encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors. Other treatments include occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, and strategies to improve communication, such as using pictures that children can point at to let caregivers know what they want.
Heres the thing: ABA and the other treatments are helpful for children with developmental problems, no matter what their cause. There is no downside to doing them even if the child ultimately is found to have a different problem or no problem at all. They are good for the child with autism, the child with a language disability, or a late bloomer. Yes, its hard for parents to hear a diagnosis of autism. But there is much reason for hope when it comes to autism, and we should never waste time when a child needs help.
The CDCs Act Early campaign has a whole host of resources to help parents and caregivers know if a child is developing normally, or if there might be a problem. If you think there is a problem, ask for help. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
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How Is Fragile X Syndrome Treated
There is no cure for fragile X syndrome. But children with the condition can do well when they get treatment starting in early childhood. They may need help learning to talk, walk and interact with others.
Certain medicines can help some children with behavioral symptoms be better able to learn, including:
- Medicines used to treat depression and anxiety and other mental health problems
- Stimulants like Ritalin®, which often are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Medicines used to help prevent seizures
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Early Signs Of Autism In A 5 Year Old
Once your toddler grows up, certain signs can be missed or confused with signs of growing up. You may want to consult your childs doctor if you see the following signs, which may mean your child has a developmental delay:
- Shows extreme behaviors like unusually aggressive, shy, or sad
- Doesnt show a wide range of emotions
- Usually isnt active
- Has trouble focusing on one activity for extended periods of time
- Doesnt respond to people
- Cant understand the difference between real and make-believe
- Doesnt play with peers
- Doesnt use grammar correctly
- Doesnt talk about daily activities
- Loses skills they once had