Article 5

Infants at risk for autism: a European perspective on current status, challenges and opportunities

 

Sven Bolte, Peter Marschik, Terje Falck-Ytter, Tony Charman, Herbert, Roeyers, Mayada Elsabbagh

 

 

This article is about current research that is being done to be able to reliably diagnose autism in children younger than two years of age. Early diagnosis is difficult as there are many different factors to consider.  Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) involve developmental delays which are difficult to diagnose early as parents won't notice them until later years. Early diagnosis is critical to implement early intervention for children. Various screening instruments are being used to help ASD. To help early detection, studies have been done involving the infant siblings of children with ASD. Development is monitored to see if there are similarities with children with ASD. Inadequate funding, samples, and sample sizes have provided a barrier to conducting the research needed.

 

This article was difficult to follow due to the technical jargon involved. I think it is a great study because anything that can help diagnose ASD as early as possible will be very beneficial to not only the educational but to the everyday world. If we can diagnose disorders early on, then we have a better chance of helping that child succeed as normally as possible in the real world. Autistic children can be a challenge in the classroom because they are not always able to communicate what they need/want. The more research that is done, the more help we can offer these children.