Early insight into autism

Children are being diagnosed with autism before their second birthday in a breakthrough trial that promises to save countless dollars and family heartache.

Using the expertise of child-health nurses to identify crucial developmental delays, the Melbourne study has significantly brought down the age at which children are first assessed for autism. The researchers want the program to be expanded immediately, saying the developmental, financial and emotional benefits of early intervention are enormous for the children, their families and the community.

The study's leader, Cheryl Dissanayake, who heads the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at La Trobe University, said the program was a relatively cheap and effective way of identifying signs of autistic behaviour through the routine infant check-ups by maternal and child health nurses.

Nurses at 184 centres checked the children at eight, 12, 18 and 24 months. They were trained to look out for symptoms including a lack of eye contact or response to their names, or failure to point, wave or clap.

"These kinds of behaviours … are evident from very early in development," Dr Dissanayake said. "They are focusing on children before they develop language and traditionally it's the failure to develop language that led children into the referral process."

Of 105 children referred for further testing by La Trobe University experts over the two-year study, 80 per cent had autism spectrum disorder and the remainder had language or developmental delays. Only one child - an extremely shy toddler - was incorrectly referred.

The early diagnosis - usually autism is not diagnosed until children are at least three - allows parents to enter specialised intervention programs before the disorder becomes more severe and secondary symptoms, such as aggressive behaviour, develop. But the program's funding, through a Telstra community development grant, runs out next month. Continued...