“Could
early intervention erase signs of autism?”
By:
Jen Christensen
Source:
CNN
There are times when people take on
a victim mentality in the face of tragedy. For example, parents of children who
may have autism, a developmental disorder that impairs social and communication
skills, may feel helpless against the odds. They may believe that no preventive
method exists to free their child from this disorder. However, a recent “pilot”
study of seven children aged seven to fifteen months old demonstrating autism
potential, brought forth a profound amount of hope among concerned parents and
scientists. For twelve consecutive weeks it trained these mothers and fathers
with behavioral modification techniques, designed to be incorporated into their
daily lives and to bring about improvement in the issues these children
displayed. These included songs and rhymes, activities designed to generate
increased engagement and reactions on the child’s behalf. Thirty-six months
later, the positive effects of this study were felt. “Five children no longer
showed symptoms of autism, one had mild autism but no developmental delays, and
one had severe autism” (Christensen 1). Unfortunately, a formal conclusion can
not be proclaimed from a study of such a limited number of subjects.
This study is a hopeful one all the
same. It concedes that early intervention is effective and may serve to erase
autism-related signs completely. It also shows that a multitude of minor signs pointing
toward this disorder exist that parents should look out for in their children.
The importance of this finding should therefore not be undermined, as autism is
a serious disorder that now affects an approximate one in sixty-eight American
children. Parents should endeavor to help their children at an early stage with
these behavioral modification techniques if developmental setbacks are
perceived, even if these are not related to autism. As is evident in the case
of Noah, one of the seven children studied, his language skills now exceed
those of his peers. The ever evolving world of scientific findings is a
promising one, especially in regards to the welfare of our children.
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