Not too many months ago, it was reported that autism was occurring in one to one hundred children. Now the statistics are that one in sixty-eight children are being diagnosed on the autism spectrum. How scary this must be for pregnant mothers and fathers and young parents. The good news is that more and more research is being done, so hopefully some answers will finally be found as to the cause.
One researcher, who has a son with autism, noted in a New York Times article (3/25/14) that "there are about 800 different mutations associated with autism." Finding the cause of these mutations will be a enormous task, but with so much focus on autism and so many cases, I think there will be some answers.
Another recent study has shown that there are changes in the brains of babies born with autism. This was reported in the March New England Journal. The importance of noting that the changes are present at birth means that a diagnosis will hopefully be made earlier than it now is. The usual age of diagnosis is four years, but it is often later than that. I have diagnosed children as early as eighteen months. Behavior problems, difficulty sleeping and a piercing cry are some of the signs that have alerted me to the diagnosis. A early dignosis is important because behavior therapy can be started and the results will be much better than if it is started later. Most neurologists have little training, I have found in diagnosing autism, so a specialist in the disorder is the one who should be consulted.
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