From The Wall Street Journal:

Researchers are exploring new technologies to detect autism earlier so that children can benefit from behavioral therapy at a younger age. The reason: studies of children with autism indicate that preschool-age kids receiving intensive treatment show greater gains in language and IQ scores than children whose treatment begins at older ages.

Scientists at Canada’s McMaster University and Yale University’s Toddler Developmental Disabilities Clinic are both working with eye-tracking technology intended to predict the risk of autism in children in infancy. Meanwhile, researchers at at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab are developing specialized software and an in-home recording device to analyze the habits of infants to detect signs of autism.

The new technology is meant to complement traditional behavioral methods of analysis that are still necessary for a proper diagnosis.

Wall Street Journal video includes an advertisement.

Accompanied by a list of Red Flags for autism:

Early detection advocacy group First Signs says parents should seek immediate evaluation if their infant shows any of these potential indicators of autism:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter.
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter.
• No babbling by 12 months.
• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months.
• No words by 16 months.
• No two-word meanngful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months.
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 4:31 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, News_2_Use, autism, technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post