Name Recognition: Early Test for Autism

US autism experts believe they have determined a way to detect autism in children at a younger age. The new method has everything to do with the child's name.

Currently autism diagnosis in children does not occur until around the age of three or four. However many parents end up telling doctors that they had noticed signs of autism before the diagnosis. The new method of autism testing could diagnose it as early as age one. The new test would carry out routine tests on babies to see if they respond to their names.

In studying the 'name test' method for identifying autism researchers evaluated two groups of young children. One group was a control group of healthy children and the other group contained children that were thought to have an increased risk of autism.

All of the children in the control group were tested at age one and all of these children passed the 'name test'. This means that all of the children in this group responded to their name on either the first or second time it was said. The children in the high-risk group did not uncover the same results. Only 86 percent of the high-risk children passed the 'name test' at age one. Researchers observed a selection of children from the control group and high-risk group until they reached the age of two.

By age two 75 percent of the high-risk children appeared to have developmental issues. At the end of the study when children were officially diagnosed with autism it was discovered that half of the children eventually diagnosed did not pass the 'name test' when they were aged one.

The University of California Davis in Sacramento carried out the study. The 'name test' was first tried on children when they were six months old but it was discovered that this was too young an age and it was tried again when the children were 12 months old.

In their conclusions, the researches pointed out that the 'name test' should not be used as the sole method of diagnosing autism in children. It is however a good way to give an early indication of autism and reason to continue observing a child's development. Discovering an early warning sign of autism can allow for early treatment, giving the child more chance of developing better. Researchers also pointed out that just because a child fails the 'name test' once it does not mean that will develop autism. A child that fails a number of times does however have a higher chance of being autistic.

If parents are concerned about their children they are advised to contact a medical professional who will test the child. Autism is a term used to describe a number of developmental problems that would have lifelong effects on a person's ability to function in society. There are varies levels of autism one of which is asperger's syndrome.

Sources
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6509469.stm
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23391308-details/The+early-warning+test+for+autism/article.do
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17920545/