Autism (continued)

Q: What's the treatment for autism? Does medication help?
A: The best treatment for children with autism is intensive, targeted education. In a large percentage of children with autism, other symptoms may interfere with their ability to utilize these interventions. These symptoms include oppositional, impulsive, aggressive and self injurious behaviors along with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Recent research has shown that medications can often be of help in reducing these distressing symptoms.

Q: Are there special schools for children with autism?
A: It is important to identify children with autism as early as possible and provide them with a specialized program. There are special schools and programs within the public education sector. One of the most important aims of these programs for young children is to help increase interest in other people. Next is an emphasis on learning language, and finally the use of functional assessments and treatments of behaviors. These are all variations of a type of treatment called applied behavioral analysis (ABA).

Q: Is autism on the increase?
A: It appears that the diagnosis of all the pervasive developmental disorders is increasing. Several studies in different communities in the US and Europe have examined this phenomena. The most likely explanation for this increase in not that the number of children with this disorder are increasing but that the we are more aware of the diagnosis and so are identifying more individuals than we did previously.

Q: Do children with autism grow out of it? What's the prognosis?
A: While some of the features of autism are lifelong, the best predictor of how well children will do as an adult is their verbal IQ.

Q: When should I bring my child to a doctor for an autism evaluation?
A: According to the guidelines of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) a doctor should immediately evaluate a child if s/he:
• Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
• Does not say single words by 16 months of age
• Does not say two-word phrases on his/her own (rather than just repeating what someone else says) by 24 months of age
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

Q: What is involved when a child is evaluated for autism?
A: There is no medical test that results in the diagnosis, but the evaluation of a child includes many components. Careful history gathering and observation are critical, and a psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluation should be included. Often a neurological evaluation and genetic testing/counseling may be useful.

Related Books

For Parents

Williams, D. (1994)
Nobody Nowhere: The Autobiography of an Autistic
Avon Books

Brill, M. (1994)
Keys to Parenting a Child with Autism
Barrons Educational Series

For Children

Amenta, C. (1992)
Russell is Extra Special: A Book About Autism for Children
Magination Press

Werlin, N. (1994)
Are You Alone on Purpose?
Houghton Mifflin Co.

About the NYU Child Study Center

The New York University Child Study Center is dedicated to increasing the awareness of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and improving the research necessary to advance the prevention, identification, and treatment of these disorders on a national scale. The Center offers expert psychiatric services for children, adolescents, young adults, and families with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. The Center's mission is to bridge the gap between science and practice, integrating the finest research with patient care and state-of-the-art training utilizing the resources of the New York University School of Medicine. The Child Study Center was founded in 1997 and established as the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry within the NYU School of Medicine in 2006. For more information, please call us at (212) 263-6622 or visit us at http://www.aboutourkids.org/.