SIGNS of autism may be detectable as early as nine months of age, say researchers – with fussiness among earlier indicators to look out for.
In the UK, is typically diagnosed between the ages of three and five years.
But researchers at the University of Missouri‘s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment have been exploring whether can be detected as early as the first year of life.
Researchers Erin Andres and Stephen Sheinkopf found behaviour at nine months old can indicate the likelihood a one year old is at risk for .
As part of the study, parents of nine-month-old infants took part in a survey and answered questions related to infants' temperaments and adaptability.
Behaviours they were asked about included frequent , difficulty calming down, and trouble adapting to new environments.
When their children were 12 months, parents completed an autism screening questionnaire that assessed communication skills, sensory sensitivities, and restrictive or repetitive behaviours.
The screening gauged things like whether infants responded to their names or were overwhelmed by loud noises such as vacuum cleaners.
“What we found was the infants at nine months who were reported to be fussier, had a harder time adapting, more and more delays in achieving developmental milestones were more likely to show signs of early autism by 12 months,”; Sheinkopf, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of paediatrics, said.
The findings showed parent-reported information about an infant's early behaviours can potentially help spot signs of autism or developmental delays much earlier than previously thought.
Further research is needed to determine if these early signs could lead to a formal autism diagnosis.
But the findings could help identify infants who could benefit from early intervention .
“Whether it’s helping infants develop language skills closer to their age-expected levels or developing early social skills that will help them thrive in preschool, we want all kids to flourish,”; Sheinkopf said.
The research team is continuing to collect information about infants in their first year of life, but note parents' descriptions of their ‘ development is an important part of their approach.
“Parents are intuitive,”; Sheinkopf said. “They are experts on their children, and now we are trying to create better ways of measuring those things that they notice about their kids.”;
What is autism?
isn't an illness but aneurodevelopmentalcondition that influences how people experience and interact with the world.
It's something people are born with, and signs can be apparent when you're very young, or when you're older.
If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life, says the NHS.
Nobody knows what causes autism, or if it has a cause.
It can affect people in the same family, so it may sometimes be passed on to a child by their parents.
There are no treatments or a cure, but people can get support with certain things.
If you think you or your child have autism, you can speak to your GP, who can then refer you for an autism assessment.
If you're unsure how to , look out for the following characteristics…
