Can Autism 'Go Away' ?
A recent study has prompted debate by suggesting that some adults who were diagnosed with autism as children can "grow out" of the disorder.
Autism spectrum disorder is viewed as a life-long condition, but a recent study has suggested that some children who are diagnosed with autism may no longer merit that diagnosis as adults.
Since the study was released, however, debate has broken out over whether these grown-ups have truly overcome their autism condition or whether they have merely learned to compensate for it.
Watch the video to learn more.
Pat
11:30 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
The article I read in the NYT stressed that there was no way to predict which child might recover and that it had been documented only in children who had received extensive therapy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/health/some-with-autism-diagnosis-can-recover-study-finds.html
Christine DeLaurentis
8:55 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. It cannot be "cured."
What can happen however, is a child who receives interventions from a young age (the younger the better) can be shown how to deal with the world outside their home. As my son's doctor explained, "Your child is an Olympic class runner with a brick wall in front of him. We need to give him the toolbox to get around the wall to show the wall how amazing he is."
Early interventions provide the toolboxes for our children to get around the "wall" of autism but they do not cure them.
Christine DeLaurentis
8:56 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Sorry...that should be "to show the WORLD how amazing he is." :-)
Ann Salomon
9:38 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
I agree with Christine, and add some further information. She is accurate about the intense early intervention , but the programs ( I.E. Speech , OT, Social skill programs , etc) need to be maintained and challenged during the school age years and beyond. Ann Salomon.
Christine DeLaurentis
8:08 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
I totally agree Ann. My son is only in first grade so we are just beginning our journey!
monkeySEEmonkeyDO
10:04 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
With available technology these days, more and more people are having kids at an older age, but no one ever thought it could have negative side effects.
A recent study has concluded that autism and schizophrenia have a direct connection to the father's age. Older men create kids with autism.
Biologically, we were designed to procreate at a younger age but our society is leaning to push the age back and people are actually having kids while in their 40's and 50's!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/health/fathers-age-is-linked-to-risk-of-autism-and-schizophrenia.html?_r=0
Christine DeLaurentis
11:02 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Although a father's age at conception is a factor that may lead their children to have a higher risk of autism, that doesn't mean that all or even most children with autism have children with older fathers. That is definitely not the case in most of the children I know.