Watching for Early Signs of Autism in Babies

January 15, 2013

It’s important for parents to stay tuned in to their children’s development.

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report in Special English.

Children with autism have difficulty with social skills and communication. They often behave in restricted and repetitive ways and have what seem like abnormally intense interests.

A widely used medical guide will list autism under a new definition and name, "autism spectrum disorder." The changes will appear in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to be published in May.

The "spectrum" represents a group of developmental brain disorders, ranging from mild to severely disabling. A milder form commonly called Asperger’s syndrome will no longer be listed as a separate disorder with its own name.

Autism is more common in boys than girls. What causes it is not clear. Scientists are studying genes and possible environmental influences.

Doctors usually cannot confirm a diagnosis of autism until a child is about three years old. Rebecca Landa is a researcher at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland. Professor Landa wanted to find out what differences in development might be seen earlier. She led a new study that observed 235 babies between six and 36 months of age.