Can gestures revolutionize autism screening and diagnosis for kids under two?

A recent study of 1900 children in Australia found that children with autism are less likely to use gestures such as pointing and waving when they communicate with their peers.Carly Veness, a speech pathologist who conducted the research identified a low pattern of gestures in autistic kids between 8 months and two years of age.

"We found that there was a decreased use of gestures like pointing, showing and giving," she said."At two years of age that was the main characteristic that differentiated children with autism from other children.
"These findings could really revolutionize how autism is screened for and help professionals come to an earlier diagnosis."

Per Craig Kendall, author of several books on autism and Asperger's syndrome,

"So far, autism has been particularly difficult to diagnose in children under 3 years old. And experts universally agree that the sooner that a child with autism begins treatment, the greater the long-term prognosis is for leading a happy and successful life."

"This particular study is significant because they monitored 1900 children beginning at only eight months old," said Craig.

By following these children for seven years, researchers were able to identify which behaviors predicted autism.
The researchers were able to look back over the seven year study and identify what were the characteristics of behavior that differed in the children who eventually were diagnosed with autism versus the children who never developed autism or Asperger's syndrome. Some of the kids who were eventually diagnosed with autism were the ones who had problems with gestures such as pointing and waving when they were eight months old.

Parents of toddlers should be seeing normal development such as pointing and gestures. If your toddler does not point at objects that he or she wants, or show other gesturing signs after 8 months, ask your pediatrician about this. And consider early screening for autism by a qualified specialist. Studies conclusively prove that the earlier therapy and treatment for autism begins, the better the long-term results can be.

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