Research: Autism ‘recovery’ possible for some
May 11th, 2009
From the Associated Press/MSNBC and the [UK] Telegraph:
A growing body of research suggests that some children with autism have been able to “recover” from the condition, usually after years of intensive behavioral therapy.
University of Connecticut psychology professor Deborah Fein presented data at an autism conference in Chicago last week that included 20 children who had previously been diagnosed with autism but were no longer considered autistic. Fein’s study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, and involved children aged 9 to 18.
Fein estimated that 10 – 20 percent of children diagnosed could “recover,” but said recovery was “not a realistic expectation for the majority of kids.”
Many of the children who “recovered” had relatively mild cases of autism and above-average IQs; most received long-term behavior treatment soon after diagnosis, sometimes 30 or 40 hours weekly. Recovery was generally evident by around age 7, and nearly three-fourths of those who recovered have had other disorders, such as attention deficit problems and phobias.
See also:
Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On? — Discover
(Associated Press photo of Leo Lytel, who was diagnosed with autism as a toddler and undiagnosed at age 9)
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