UW Autism Study to Treat Infants without Symptoms
By Paul Nyhan
P-I REPORTER
The University of Washington launched one of the nation's first studies on
preventing autism in infants Wednesday and will spend the next four years
exploring the benefit of intensive and early therapy on the mysterious
disorder.
The university's Autism Center is looking for 200 local families to join the
study of autism, which is diagnosed in 1 out of 150 children, according to
the latest study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study is unusual because autism research and treatment has typically
focused on treating or reversing but not preventing the neurological
disorder. Autism often emerges when a child is around 2 years old.
"Other research has shown that the earlier the intervention, the better the
outcome in treating children with autism. One of our goals is to be able to
identify autism as early as possible before obvious symptoms show up so we
can intervene while the connections in a child's brain are still plastic,"
Annette Estes, associate director of the Autism Center, said in a statement.
The hope is based on the fact that UW clinicians have generally been more
successful the earlier they have treated children.
"This is the question we are trying to answer: 'Can we do this?' " Estes
said in an interview. "It is a bold question to try to ask."
There is wide support for treating, reversing or potentially preventing a
disorder with such a variety of symptoms that people are diagnosed on a
spectrum. Children with autism typically struggle with social, emotional and
communication skills.
The study will focus on newborns who have older siblings on the autism
spectrum, since those babies are far more likely to develop the disorder.
One out of 20 infants with an older brother or sister with autism will also
fall on the spectrum, according to the university.
"I think this is the only study I am aware of ... to really identify autism
this early, 6 months or younger," said Estes, who will lead clinical
assessments.
Experts don't know what causes autism, though it is believed to be a
combination of genetics and environmental triggers, and UW researchers hope
to gain a clearer sense of early risk factors.
The study is potentially controversial because prevention is a loaded word
in certain autism circles.
There are adults on the autism spectrum who believe autism is a difference,
not a disorder, said Kristina Chew, who has an autistic son and runs the
popular blog Autismvox.com.
"I think the general feeling is being autistic is part of being human," said
Chew, who added that treatments described appeared helpful. "If we are going
to prevent autism, are we going to start preventing other differences in
human beings?"
TO PARTICIPATE
Parents interested in participating in the study can call the UW Autism
Center at 800-994-9701 or check depts.washington.edu/uwautism.
Story courtesy of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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