Early parent-led intervention may help infants with autism spectrum disorder-related behaviours manage their symptoms, according to a major new study.
The researchers, from the UK and Australia, examined a possible approach that could begin well before clinical diagnosis is possible.
Writing on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, they explain: "Intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically commences after diagnosis. No trial of an intervention administered to infants before diagnosis has shown an effect on diagnostic outcomes to date."
So, they carried out a randomised trial including 103 infants aged nine to 14 months with early behavioural signs of ASD.
One group of children was given the therapy which used video feedback to help parents understand their baby’s abilities, so they can use them as a foundation for future development in areas such as social engagement, sensory behaviours and repetitiveness.
Among those given the intervention, 7% met the diagnostic criteria for ASD at three years, compared with 21% for those who received usual care. This represents "a statistically significant reduction in the severity of ASD behaviours across early childhood", they report.
Professor Jonathan Green of the University of Manchester, UK, said: “These findings are the first evidence that a pre-emptive intervention during infancy could lead to such a significant improvement in children’s social development that they then fell below the threshold for a clinical diagnosis of autism."
He added that the intervention "works with each child’s unique differences and creates a social environment around the child that helps them learn in a way that is best for them".
Whitehouse, A. J. O. et al. Effect of pre-emptive intervention on developmental outcomes for infants showing early signs of autism: A randomized clinical trial of outcomes to diagnosis. 20 September 2021 JAMA Pediatrics doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.3298
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