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The question of autism in an atypical infant
C H Zeanah1, S Davis, M Silverman
1Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Brown University Program in Medicine, Providence, RI.
Insights
Early intervention for autism in infants can lead to recovery. This case study details the evaluation and treatment of an infant with autism symptoms, highlighting the potential for positive outcomes with timely support.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Pediatric neurology
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in infants presents challenges due to overlapping symptoms with other developmental conditions.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for improving long-term outcomes in children with ASD.
- Parental concerns regarding potential autism symptoms in infants necessitate thorough evaluation of developmental trajectories.
Observation:
- A less-than-a-year-old girl presented with parental concerns suggestive of autism.
- The infant exhibited a serious early disturbance in social relatedness.
- Evaluation focused on key developmental domains: cognitive, language, and social skills.
Findings:
- The study outlines initial symptoms of autism and discusses the feasibility of early diagnosis.
- A home-based intervention was implemented to address developmental concerns.
- The infant demonstrated recovery from the early social relatedness disturbance.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of monitoring developmental milestones in infants with suspected autism.
- Early, targeted interventions may facilitate significant improvements in social relatedness and overall development.
- Further research into the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of infant social disturbances and recovery is warranted.
Abstract:
The evaluation and brief treatment of a less-than-a-year-old girl whose parents were concerned she was autistic is described. We review what is known about the initial symptoms of autism and consider how early it is feasible to make a diagnosis. We outline the domains of cognitive, language, and social development that ought to be monitored given concern about autism and explain how we evaluated these domains in our home-based intervention. Finally, we consider possible explanations for this infant's recovery from a serious early disturbance in social relatedness.