Earlier autism treatment could prevent developmental delays, study shows

Therapist Laurie Waguespack holds Grant Fulton's hands and looks him square in the eyes to gain his full attention in Lacey, Wash., Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. Her goal is to help the Grant, who has autism, improve his social and communication skills.

A small study at UC Davis showed that children who receive earlier treatment for preliminary signs of autism spectrum disorder later showed signs of little to no developmental delays. Dr. Sally Rogers explains the study.

In most cases, autism spectrum disorder isn't diagnosed in a child until they are three or four years old.

But new research from UC Davis shows that treating preliminary signs of autism at an earlier age might help infants avoid developmental delays.

The pilot study of seven children involved treatment known as Infant Start, according to UC Davis.

Treatment was administered over a six-month period to 6- to 15-month-old infants who exhibited marked autism symptoms, such as decreased eye contact, social interest or engagement, repetitive movement patterns and a lack of intentional communication. It was delivered by the people who were most in tune with and spent the most time with the babies: their parents.

Dr. Sally Rogers of the Mind Institute at UC Davis is a professor of psychology and headed up the study. She shares more on these findings.