This article responds to comments (EC 629 869-70) on a study on the reliability of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), a early detection screening test. It addresses concerns relating to clinic vs. population samples, data analysis, use of a parent questionnaire only to identify autism, and the age of screening. (Contains 6…

Two studies of toddlers and children with autism, mentally handicapped children, and normal toddlers examined whether autistic toddlers used Speaker's Direction of Gaze (SDG) strategy or less powerful Listener's Direction of Gaze (LDG) strategy to learn a word for a novel object. Results suggest autistic toddlers are insensitive to speaker's gaze…

The literature on the importance of early identification and early intervention for children with developmental disabilities such as autism continues to grow. The increased prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders has fostered research efforts on the development and validation of autism-specific screening instruments for use with young children.…

Researchers in many fields agree. The physical, social, and economic health and well-being of adults and society as a whole are strongly influenced by the early experiences of children, when the foundation for effective cognitive and social skills and abilities are developed. Children who have developmental delays or disabilities require and often…

This is the 31st Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2009. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA") (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress…

This paper reviews findings from comprehensive early intervention studies with young children with autism and formulates questions that need to be answered to establish efficacious, accessible early treatment. Results suggest that intensive, very early treatment appears to lessen the debilitating effects of autism. Research questions involve…

This study established content validity and reliability for the Infant Behavioral Summarized Evaluation, a rating scale for young children with autism. Analysis of videotapes for 89 children (ages 6-48 months) revealed a significant group of 19 items, including characteristic early autistic behaviors and some less commonly described (such as…

A mother writes of her early years with her son as a single parent and the difficult years with twin younger siblings when she was trying to find a diagnosis and help for her son. Her son is 9 years old now, and she reflects on her experiences. (Author/CR)

The mother of a 13-year-old boy with autism discusses the symptoms of autism from birth through 18 months and 18 through 36 months and her journey out of denial. The dreaded validation of the diagnosis and the support of other parents are addressed. Her husband shares some suggestions for stepfathers. (CR)

The mother of a 10-year-old boy with high functioning autism discusses her shock at the diagnosis, her denial, her feelings of guilt, her sense of isolation, the panic she felt in trying to stay on top of things, her anger, bargaining with herself, and her final feelings of acceptance and hope. (Contains three references.) (CR)

This study developed and evaluated a model of good practice linking diagnosis and intervention in young children with autism. Ten toddlers with autism underwent an intervention involving home visits, modeling, workshops and written information with parents as 'therapists' in naturally occurring situations. Within 18 months all children made…

Aims: To compare siblings of children with autism (SIBS-A) and siblings of children with typical development (SIBS-TD) at 4 and 14 months of age. Methods: At 4 months, mother-infant interactional synchrony during free play, infant gaze and affect during the still-face paradigm, and infant responsiveness to a name-calling paradigm were examined (n…

Ten parents of preschoolers with autism and 10 parents of typical preschoolers were given the Detection of Autism by Infant Sociability Interview, which elicits reports on 19 aspects of social engagement characteristics. Findings indicate that infants with autism had marked limitations in both person-to-person and person-person-object social…

In this article, a mother shares her experience of learning that her son has autism. Coping with the diagnosis, along with the stresses of family life, are discussed, including the effect of the diagnosis on her marriage, which ended in divorce. The need to persist is emphasized. (CR)

Qualitative analysis of videotape recordings of seven mothers and their sons with autism (ages 2 and 3) found that mothers mostly engaged in verbal regard (conversation) and directive behaviors. Sons were able to give some form of regard 69% of the time, mostly in the form of active task participation rather than verbal or visual regard.…