University of Washington to Research Autism Prevention
January 7, 2008
January 3, 2008; Autism Society of America: Researchers at the University of Washington will begin a $11.3 million study this week that will attempt to prevent the development of autism.
The university's Autism Center will study infants 6 months old or younger, who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism. It claims to be the first study to address preventing autism in children who have a high risk for it.
Half of the infants will be monitored by specialists and referred for community treatment. The mothers of other half will be trained by UW to engage their infants in eye contact; each mother and child will be videotaped interacting once a week for nine weeks; children in this group will participate in an early intensive intervention program and be re-evaluated at 24 months.
