It's a major move in the fight for better autism diagnosis and treatment. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced new recommendations for autism screening. The Academy is now encouraging all children to be screened for the condition twice before the age of 2. The recommendations are to help parents and physicians detect autism as early as possible. While there is no cure for Autism, early diagnosis can lead to treatments which may lessen the severity of the condition.
The Academy of Pediatrics is also warning parents of early autism signs such as babies who do not babble by 9 months of age and children who do not readily respond to talking or activity around them by the age of one. Two full reports by the Academy will be published in the upcoming November issue of the journal Pediatrics. Experts estimate that one in every 150 U.S. children will have Autism.
In mid-October, an educational tool for parents was launched online. The website offers video clips of children with autism contrasted with children who do not have the condition. The website it intended to help parents better detect the symptoms of autism. To access the website visit: www.autismspeaks.org
The website is sponsored by the advocacy groups “Autism Speaks” and “First Signs”.
