There is more evidence that a minority of
autistic children may eventually overcome their developmental issues, but
experts caution that such recovery is rare
It’s long been the hope of parents of autistic
children that the right care and support can reduce or even reverse some of the
developmental problems associated with the condition. But while a recent study
found that behavioral intervention programs are linked with normalization of
some brain activity, the
question of whether children can outgrow autism remains difficult to answer.
Studies to date that have hinted at this possibility were plagued with
lingering questions about whether the children who apparently shed their autism
were properly diagnosed with the developmental disorder in the first place.
The new research, published in the
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and led by Deborah Fein of
the University of Connecticut,
involved 34 people ages 8 to 21 who had been diagnosed
with autism but no longer met criteria for the condition. The
initial diagnosis had to be made in writing by a doctor or psychologist
specializing in autism before the child turned five. And, to make sure they
were studying severe cases, researchers included only children who had not
spoken before 18 months or did not use phrases before age 2.
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