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Autism Screening
January 24, 2008 |
Research shows that Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in America.
Area pediatricians say they’ve noticed an increase in the number of children diagnosed
with Autism. “Autism is on the rise. We don’t know exactly why. Some of what we
think is better recognition of those milder cases at an earlier age so we have a
larger population of kids with autism at one time,” says pediatrician Dr. Eric Jones.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed their regulations for Autism
screening. Children are now screened in early infancy rather than waiting until
they’re two or three years old. Dr. Jones says the regulations make it easier to
diagnose the condition sooner. “The earlier we know, the earlier those therapies
start the better the outcome in the long run.” Betsy Caballero has a one-year-old
son. She is curious about what the screening process for Autism entails. “I will
definitely ask my doctor about Autism because since my son’s been born I don’t think
he’s ever been tested,” she says. But Pediatricians say many parents, like Betsy,
may not even know that their children are being screened during regular doctor visits.
Dr. Jones says “we kind of observe the child interacting with mom and interacting
with us and playing with toys.” He adds that there are signs parents can look for
at home. “The ga ga goo goos and ma-ma, da-da sounds are all important to be making
at an early age and
if they’re not making those it’s kind of a red flag for later
speech delay or cognitive delay.” In between doctor visits Betsy says she jots down
odd behaviors or symptoms so she can remember to talk about them with her pediatrician.
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