New Test May Hasten Autism Diagnosis

Calling A Baby's Name To Check For A Response May Lead To Earlier Recognition

(CBS)  Researchers have discovered that something as simple as calling out a baby's name to see if he or she responds could be the first step in early diagnosis of autism, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

"If a child fails the test at 12 months, they're highly likely to have some abnormal developmental outcome that could probably respond to therapy," says Dr. Sally Ozonoff, a professor at the University of California, Davis' M.I.N.D. institute.

Believing there may be a genetic link, researchers tested babies whose siblings had autism. They would call the baby's name once, wait three seconds, then do it again.

The UC Davis study found that 70 percent of the children later diagnosed with autism had failed the test sometime between 12 and 18 months of age.

According to Alison Singer, Senior Vice President of Autism Speaks and mother of an autistic child, "Parents need to be just as aware of the developmental milestones as they are of the physical milestones." If a child does not respond to his or her name, "express concern and ask [your doctor] for a full developmental screening," says Singer. For more information on the group Autism Speaks, visit www.autismspeaks.org.

Looking back, Liz and Peter Bell remembered this behavior in their son Tyler and wish they'd known what it meant. Tyler, now 14, was diagnosed only after his parents pushed doctors to pay attention.

"At his second year well-check, where we started to express concerns with pediatrician," Peter Bell says, "it took a year to get a definitive diagnosis."

The hope is that pediatricians now will incorporate this test into regular check-ups. Earlier detection means earlier treatment.

"Sometimes you wonder what would have happened if we had started at 2, when we first had initial concerns," Peter says.

Right now, most treatment for autism is geared for children. The UC Davis researchers are testing therapies for babies as young as 12 months old.

[kirbies8]

My 8 yr. old son was diagnosed in the spectrum at age 2.9. We knew there was something at age 18 mos. When I was pregnant for his younger sister we were asked to be in an autism study thru MGH in Boston at their LADDERS Clinic. At around 12 mos they saw she was not responding to her name. She was given intensive therapy and at 4 1/2 she only has some developmental delays. Early diagnoses is key to helping these children. I would like to add if parent feel something is not right find some one who will help you. Children do not outgrow this condition.

[mothercub]

My 4 yr old son was not fully diagnosed until he was 3.9 months old. I knew @ 18 mths that something was wrong. He rarely responded to his name, but his hearing tested just fine. His pediatrician said he was fine and that "boys just develop slower than girls". For over a year I did not do anything. He is now responding very well to speech therapy, nutritional supplements and biomedical intervention. I'm writing a book about my experience in the hopes it will help other parents to pay attention to the warning signs. Don't wait like I did. Start now.

[twoasdboys]

Both my sons (ages 5.6 & 6.10) were diagnosed when they were 4.9 & 3.5. I wish this test had been in place when my children were younger as it might have pushed us into action earlier. Looking back, the signs were there with both children right from the start, but we did not want to see them. I regret every day that passed without my children receiving intervention. If you are a parent who suspects something is not right with your child, don't take "let's wait and see", "boys develop slower than girls" or any other generic answer at face value. Push to have your child tested as early as possible. If your child is developing normally, your questions are answered and you can move on. If not, you can start dealing with the diagnosis and getting helps ASAP. Asking questions and insisting on answers is not a crime and if you don%u2019t ask the questions on behalf of your child, no one else will. EARLY INTERVENTION IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR ASD.
I love watching my boys grow and celebrate each new milestone with them. Knowing that I am doing all I can to help them master each new task and work for that next goal helps counter-balance the guilt and regret. By working side-by-side with school and medical personnel, we are able to provide a consistent environment for my children across the board. Most importantly, appreciating the differences in our children and treasuring their individual personalities is key to learning how to help each individual child on the spectrum.

[cathaleen]

Austism is an enigma. My son was normal till he was 2 1/2 (or so I thought) then one day he started picking at the rug and went off into his own world. That was 17 yrs ago and people were not aware of autism as they are now = but I really don't know if that would made much of a difference. There still is no cure or exact cause. There are some children that are midley autistic and with intense therapy can become normal but they are few and far between.

[citygirl0110]

Right now there is 1 in 150 births of autistic children; quite a dramatic increase from just 12 years ago when it was 1 in 2,500. 1 in 94 are boys. My son was recently diagnosed at age 2; but I suspected something wrong at 18 months when he wasn't reaching milestones. It took since last September before he began therapies consistently. Insurance companies refuse to acknowledge Autism as a legitimate claim and cover it. They would rather see Autistic children grow up to be Autistic adults. Please write your state senators to pass the bill that Senators Hillary Clinton and Wayne Allard drafted earmarking $350 million to Autistic research, and to help parents and children. You can learn more at www.autismspeaks.org Join the walk for Autism Awareness. Donate. Our children need a voice.

[caolson2]

I have a son with Autism. He will be 29 this month. With all the concern about Autism today in children. I would like to let you know that being a single parent and raising him and his sister was a very rewarding struggle. Every day was a challenge. But the challenges of an adult with autism is much harder than it ever was as a child. Because behavior situations were easier accepted. At the time it did not seem like it, but, when I compare the behavior problems he has as an adult. The problems as a child seem so small. Adult autism behavior is not understood. I would sure like to see more emphasis from the media in regards to Adult autism. My son is very high funtion. He has his own website that you may want to check out. He has overcome a lot but their is so much more that makes his life much more of a challenge than it was as a child. It was also a tremendous challenge for his sister
You can learn a lot about us by viewing his website at www.paulbunyan.net/users/cbsolson/BOlson1