Autism is one of the biggest problems in the medical field today. Although there have been numerous studies and a wide range of field application on these, there are still many children stricken with autism that is yet to be diagnosed.
The biggest factor that comes with diagnosing autism are the denial that parents have and the fact that autism can sometimes be in the mildest form. At times, it will only be properly diagnosed in a child's later years.
Now, new studies have shown that kids with autism are now being identified younger than ever before and that means that preventive therapy can start earlier. Pediatricians and parents can agree that earlier diagnosis and earlier critical therapy shows can have significant and major benefits to the child.
"Our scientific community has proven early intervention specific to autism can reduce the characteristics of autism that these children experience as they get older. It can improve the ability of these kids to be in mainstream settings," said Dr. Deborah Bilder.
Doctors and specialists recommend that kids should be tested and observed for autism as early as 18 to 24-months old. An excellent example of the benefits of early diagnosis is patient named Ali, who was diagnosed with autism very early and has been excelled in the autism-specific early intervention program.
"Already, I've seen leaps and bounds improvements in her, so that's hopeful," Brtianny Coats, Ali's mother said. "And the fact that she's starting to vocalize a lot more and she actually just started saying 'mama,' so that was important to me, and I'm crying now. That just shows that she has potential."
Behavioral signs of autism can be observed as early as six to 12 months but the diagnosis can only become "stable" or confirmed when the child is 2 years old.
