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New Trend to Diagnose Autism and ADHD in Infants
Can doctors tell if babies are autistic, mentally retarded or have Attention Deficit Disorder?
Several ongoing studies indicate that diagnosing infants with developmental disability disorders might become more common in the future. For example:
- A recent government report from the Center for Disease Control and the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders includes a list of very early warning signs, such as a two-month-old baby's failure to focus on new sounds and sights. The Center recommends that pediatricians screen babies for developmental disorders. This report emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, noting that 17% of American children have such disorders but less than half receive a diagnosis before age five.
- Dr. Stanley Greenspan, who co-authored the government report, is researching whether very early interventions, such as behavior training, can help infants and preschool children with Attention Deficit Disorder or autism.
- Dr. Fred Volkmar at Yale University is currently determining whether infants who focus on objects rather than people are more likely to suffer from autism. "We are on the verge of being able to do a much better job" of detecting developmental disorders in infants, he said.
- Finally, researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago are performing a five-year study of the relationship between infant crying and autism.