Parents could ‘reverse’ early signs of autism

Landmark study finds video analysis of family time cuts cases by two thirds

EARLY signs of autism in babies can be reversed if parents are offered therapy helping them communicate effectively, said a landmark study yesterday.

The ‘truly groundbreaking’ research found early intervention could prevent around two-thirds of autism cases currently diagnosed in three-year-olds.

It suggests the therapy developed by British scientists, which focuses on improving interaction between parents and their babies, can alter brain development in infants from early on in life.

Scientists said they were ‘gobsmacked’ by the findings which represent the first effective treatment to reduce the severity of autism symptoms.

This is because babies learn how to communicate and understand the world through interactions with parents. Any communication difficulties they have as infants can damage brain function and act as their model for wider social interactions in later life.

The study, led by the University of Manchester, could transform NHS care in the next decade for approximately 10,000 babies each year in the UK born on the autism spectrum.

Currently it is diagnosed when children are around three or older after they display symptoms such as difficulty talking or making eye contact.

But the study suggests that intervening earlier in at-risk children, when the brain is developing rapidly, can prevent them developing these symptoms in the first place.

Lead author Professor Andrew Whitehouse, of the University of Western Australia, said: ‘The clinical impact that could be immediate is really gobsmacking. The idea that we can proapy vide support to kids very early and change their long-term trajectory, so that they may not meet the criteria for a diagnosis, is truly groundbreaking.’

A clinical trial tested the theron 104 Australian infants aged nine to 14 months displaying early signs of autism.

It involved just ten sessions in family homes based on video analysis of the parents interacting with their child.

They are shown how to pick up tiny cues and react in a way that will encourage their child to communicate.

For example, if a baby does not make eye contact, parents will be taught to look for other subtle ways the infant might be trying to communicate and to reciprocate them.

This could include hand signals, face movements or noises. This helps the baby ‘get back in sync’ with its parents, with benefits for brain development and social skills. Children in the trial were assessed for autism aged three, reported the JAMA Paediatrics journal.

Around 21 per cent of those without extra therapy met the threshold for being diagnosed with autism. But in the therapy group, it was 6.7 per cent.

Study author Professor Jonathan Green, of the University of Manchester, said the first two years of life when signs of autism are emerging are critical. But he stressed that although the therapy can prevent long-term difficulties, it is not a ‘miracle cure’.

‘The impact could be gobsmacking’