New Autism Study Concentrates On Infants Gaze

A new study on siblings of infants with Autism has been released by researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. 

In the study,  infant brothers and sisters of Autistic children were tested for early signs of the developmental disorder. 

They were tested for signs of social delay and later communication with their caregiver.

The infants in the study, a total of 50, half of which were brothers and sisters of children without Autism.  Infants in the high risk group, those with a family history of Autism, are 25 times more likely to develop the disorder. More children will develop Autism than will be diagnosed HIV/Aids or cancer.

The infants were tested for cause and effect learning and communication skills. Given the choice between playing with a musical toy or communicating with their caregiver. The infant was placed in a customized chair that gave them access to a musical plaything via a joystick on one side while a individual was on the other side.

The infants from the high risk group tended to want to have access to the toy as opposed social interaction with the caregiver. This occurred when the individual was not actively engaged with the infant. About 20 percent of the infants in the high risk group may develop Autism later on in childhood.

The study on infant siblings of children with Autism is published in the September issue of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The study was financed by grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Via : gulfstreamcleaning.com