Autism: Early Detection and Treatment is Crucial

Worrying about the well-being of their children is nothing new for mothers. Many sleepless nights are not uncommon with a new mother who may lay awake in bed for hours listening for the cry of a child or wondering if her child is developing the way he/she should be. This is not a revelation to doctors, in fact they see if every day; mothers come in and ask questions like, “Should my child be doing (fill in the blank) yet? Do you think my child is advanced, delayed or right on target in terms of development? Should I be concerned because my child isn’t doing (fill in the blank) yet?” Often these questions are brushed off by doctors with a “let’s wait and see” attitude. Dr. Pauline Filipek, a child neurologist at the University of California-Irvine, is trying to change this response so often given by doctors. According to Filipek, "I hear this from parents all the time, that the pediatrician said, 'Don't worry,' or 'You're imagining things' or 'let’s wait.’ When I give lectures to pediatricians, I tell them, 'Get these phrases out of your lexicon. Get them out of your vocabulary.'" Filipek made this statement in regards to the often overlooked and missed diagnosis of autism. Doctors today are in too much of a hurry to rush through patient visits and too quick to write off the concerns of their patients. The relationship between patient and doctor has been reduced to a five minute exchange, of which the doctor is probably thinking of a handful of different things, none of which focus on the patient. While this is not always the case, it too often is and that is why parental vigilance is essential to ensure sufficient time is taken to properly diagnose their children.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests.” On average, autism is diagnosed by the time the child is three years old. However, recent studies have shown that the earlier a child is diagnosed with autism, the sooner treatment can begin and the better odds the child has at overcoming this developmental disorder. One such study, published and released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in October 2007, sited two clinical reports that, “will help pediatricians recognize autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) earlier and guide families to effective interventions, which will ultimately improve the lives of children with ASDs and their families.” The most common form of treatment focuses on behavioral and environmental interventions, in which “therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills. Family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with autism often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with an autistic child.” Family counseling is very important.

The first years of a newborn’s life are crucial in terms of being able to relate to and engage with their parents and family, so now imagine a new mother struggling to connect with her new baby, who refuses to be held or even make eye contact with her. The difficulty in bonding during this time can have long-term negative effects for both mother and child. In an article posted on CNN.com and written by Elizabeth Cohen, a correspondent with CNN Medical News, Briana Vartanian spoke of her experience encountering these problems with her daughter Lola. According to Briana, “Lola never looked at me--she looked through me. She had no idea who Mommy was. And other kids love it when someone comes up to them and smiles. She'd freak out if someone approached her--even if it was me or my husband." Briana knew her daughter was different and, more importantly, she knew something was wrong. But when she approached her doctor about this she, like countless others before and after her, was brushed off and placated with a “Let’s wait and see.” Briana was not satisfied and sought out a second opinion, this time from a pediatric neurologist. Lola, now fourteen months old, was immediately diagnosed with autism and began treatment right away.

The case of Lola is just one of many children whose condition goes unnoticed and undiagnosed for too long before someone realizes that this is not a “Let’s wait and see” situation. Early intervention is vital to the successful treatment of children with autism. This is the premise behind the new push to have all babies screened for autism not once, but twice before the age of two. The American Academy of Pediatrics is pioneering this shift in realizing how crucial early intervention is, especially when dealing with developmental disorders, such as autism. The earlier the better is the way autism and the treatment of it works. The Autism Society of America clearly supports this notion as it states on its website, “Research indicates that early diagnosis is associated with dramatically better outcomes for individuals with autism. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the earlier the child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention approaches treatment and education.” There is absolutely no evidence to support the idea that waiting to diagnose a child with autism has any benefits. Although, it must be mentioned that many parents may not want to deal with the reality of having a child with autism and so may be decline having their child tested. However, this mentality is not in the best interest and welfare of the child.

According to an article written by Lindsey Tanner and posted on the Associated Press website just yesterday, “Experts say one in 150 U.S. children have the troubling developmental disorder [autism].” Parents are more aware of the signs that may indicate their child is autistic and this awareness is the first step toward helping their child. However, the key element here is still early intervention. If a child has any signs that may point to autism, get them screened today. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the sooner a treatment plan can be implemented, and this will give the child the best odds possible of overcoming this developmental disorder. Children who have been diagnosed with autism and their families deserve the best possible chances and those come with the earliest detection and action possible. This is something parents do not want to “wait and see” on; every day counts so have parents need to have their children screened today.

Exploring the Blogosphere

This week I decided to explore the vast realm that is the blogosphere. I was especially intrigued by a couple of blogs I came across that dealt with the issue of childhood obesity. The first one is by a blogger referred to only as “hbvx713112.” This blogger focuses on the role that parents play, changes that can be made to reduce childhood obesity, as well as gives a quick overview of the topic with a few statistics thrown in. After reading this blog I felt compelled to leave a comment, which can be read either by clicking on this comment link, or by reading it below.

The second blog I came across was presented by Entertainment Consumers Association. This blog dealt with a new PC video game Kaiser Permanente has created that is aimed at promoting healthy attitudes about nutrition and exercise. I had never heard of this before and was so impressed that I felt I needed to leave a comment, which can be read by clicking on this comment link, or by reading it below.


Comment on "Childhood Obesity: Your Kids And Heart Disease!":

Thank you for this post. It is refreshing to hear someone bring up this issue in regards to changes that should be made in the home and modeled by parents. I believe that too often parents look to shift the blame to institutions, such as school, when the focus should be in the home. While I acknowledge the school system must accept its own part of responsibility in the sense of providing healthier options for the kids to choose from, I firmly believe that the attitudes children have toward exercise and food choices begin in the home. If a child sees his/her parent reaching for a bag of potato chips to stave off hunger before dinner, then in that child's mind it is not only okay, but it is how life is.
I think often times parents forget that children are born into this world without any understanding of how things are suppose to be. Children look to their parents for guidance and understanding that they then take out into the world. If they learn that sitting on the couch, watching TV for hours, and munching on chips, cookies, and sodas is how life is in their household, they will associate that with what is normal and will seek it out once outside the home.
I remember one morning when I was in high school and I saw my aunt packing up my 6-year-old cousin’s lunch and she put a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (no problem there), a bag of cheesy Doritos (okay, maybe a problem here), a bag with at least a half dozen Oreo cookies (okay, definitely a problem here), and a can of Coco-Cola (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!). I was horrified! But at the same time, that one lunch I witnessed being packed explained a lot. My little 6-year-old cousin was overweight. She never seemed to lose her "baby fat" and then just kept gaining weight. Each time I would see her she would be bigger and bigger.
This is why I believe that childhood obesity starts and needs to end in the home. Children eat what is provided to them by parents and what they see their parents eating. Children engage in activities approved by their parents and that their parents participate with them in. Parents need to make the time in the craziness of life to teach and model good behaviors. After all, it's the lives of children that are at stake here. Is there not a better reason to make changes than that?


Comment on "TV News: PC Game Targets Childhood Obesity":

This is a step in the right direction. I have not previewed the game so I cannot comment on the quality, level of engagement and so forth. However, I can say that for a major healthcare corporation to create a game with the goal of improving the attitudes of children toward diet and exercise is huge. This shows that childhood obesity is no longer something people reference in passing or mothers talk about with other mothers at the park. Instead this is heralding a new wave of awareness and action. Perhaps this video game is not going to be the flagship of effectiveness, but it marks a huge step in the right direction. Children of today are immersed in technology and so to create a game they can play and interact with that teaches them something helpful shows that the adults of the world are addressing children at a level they are interested in and can relate to. I also think that the game shutting down after 20 minutes is a great idea. I myself was once a child who was allowed to spend every waking hour in front of a video game machine and looking back it was definitely not healthy. Again, I'm not here to say this is a phenomenal video game that will change the face of obesity; however I think this signals an approach toward really facing and dealing with the issue of childhood obesity that not too long ago people were not willing to acknowledge, let alone take responsibility for. But I must say, I'm intrigued enough to want to see this video game for myself.