On Parenting: Reassuring Autism Findings

Video: What is Autism?

If these experiments in super-early intervention prove successful, they will raise a host of new issues, not the least of which is how to provide such interventions. Parents of children with autism and other developmental delays know all too well what a struggle it can be to get top-quality intervention of the sort offered by these researchers. "The biggest question this will raise is, which babies need stimulation?" Landa says. "Can a parent buy a book and do it on their own?" On the positive side, Landa says, all babies benefit from focused one-on-one time with Mom or Dad. "These are the ABCs of parenting; spend loving time with your kids," she says. "Nobody has to wait for us."

And the more research that is done on tiny babies, the better the odds of identifying signs of autism that could be used to diagnose children earlier than the typical two to three years. This would not only improve the odds of children getting the help they need but avoid needless worry. Eighty percent of babies with an autistic sibling, Estes notes, will grow up to be just fine. "I wish I could fast forward five years and be able to tell parents, 'Your kids are going to be fine. You don't have to worry.' That's one of the outcomes I'm looking forward to."

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Information on the Promoting First Relationships program is available at pfrprogram.org.

For more about the University of Washington early-intervention study, as well as a second study that is recruiting babies who have siblings with autism for brain scans at 6, 12, and 24 months, you can call 800-994-9701.