A method for early detection of autism

A method that enables the early identification and treatment of babies with autism, developed by Israeli researchers, was presented at the beginning of July at a medical congress in London that dealt with the issue of autism in babies. The method was developed in the joint work of the "Mafna" center, a center for early intervention in autism, and the child psychiatry unit at the Ichilov Hospital. Its great importance lies in the fact that detecting signs of communication disorders as early as possible and immediate treatment may prevent the development of autism and significantly reduce the number of children with the problem.

Autism is a biological brain disorder that impairs a person's communication skills, and can appear in a moderate to severe form.
In recent years, there has been a tremendous statistical increase in the number of diagnosed autism cases. While in the early 90s, one out of every 2,500 children was diagnosed with the problem, according to data from the American Ministry of Health from December 2003, today the number stands at one in 300. The increase is partly the result of an improvement in the ability to diagnose and expand the category of the autism spectrum, but there is also a real increase, the reasons for which are not clear. In light of the large increase, the American Ministry of Health issued a call to start treating the problem as early as possible, as soon as it is discovered.
"Until the 18s, autism diagnosis was usually made around the age of four or five," says Hana Alonim, director of the "Mafna" center that developed the method. "In recent years, the age of diagnosis has dropped to the age of two or three, which is the age at which the most prominent suspicious signs usually appear, and early detection is considered to occur at the age of one and a half to two years. Parents of children diagnosed as autistic usually say that until the age of two or three, the child developed normally, Then a retreat began. From the extensive experience we have accumulated over XNUMX years in the detection and treatment of communication disorders, we decided to check how early the signs of the problem can be detected, with the understanding that autism does not start suddenly and that there are probably many early signs of children who were diagnosed with us at the age of three or four. Analysis of the recordings showed that, at a very early age of a few months, there are early signs of a developmental disorder, which in later stages develop into autism. In most cases, these are minimal signs that are not diagnosed by an unprofessional eye." .

This finding is of great importance, since the first year of life, in which the brain develops in the most significant way, is a window of opportunity that does not repeat itself, which may dramatically affect the child's future. "The brain of a several-month-old baby is so flexible, that by working with the right stimuli, it is possible to cause a change in the beginning of patterns within days and lead to the minimization of the disorder or even its disappearance," says Alonim. "From the analysis of the tapes, we built a series of eight signs that are red lights for a communication disorder, which make it possible to identify communication problems in a three-four month old baby. These signs include passivity or overactivity, reluctance or resistance to eat and breastfeed, avoiding eye contact and more. One sign does not necessarily indicate a disorder, but two signs that appear consecutively for three weeks warrant a referral to a diagnosis."
Beyond the novelty of diagnosing at an early age, the method is considered innovative and unique of its kind due to the fact that it combines diagnosis and treatment of the tender babies. Before the treatment, an assessment of the baby's condition is carried out regarding the milestones in the areas of physical, mental and social development. Babies start making contact as early as two months old. Newborn babies make eye contact. Therefore, a 4-month-old baby who does not make contact and is indifferent to his surroundings, should receive intensive emergency care (after undergoing medical tests, including an eye test, of course).
Alonim: "The treatment is done through stimulation techniques, mainly in the visual and sensory areas, attractive use of objects with different colors and textures. Colors sometimes have meaning in terms of intensity and the focus of the gaze, especially when it comes to a very young baby. In such cases we will learn to evaluate which colors are more attractive and use them to Create eye contact, as opposed to threatening colors, which are rarely used. The importance of textures in objects is to convey feelings: soft, hard, light, heavy. All of these, depending on the specific needs of the baby, are used with objects that make sounds All this, while making sure to enter the space of the baby's field of vision in a non-threatening way, taking into account the baby's sensitivities and without overwhelming him, as a high dose of stimulation may cause the opposite result.
Sometimes such babies make eye contact with objects, but not with people. In such a case, a limited dose of the use of textures and colors is observed and the ability to develop human eye contact is worked on.
A small part of the babies suffering from attachment disorder are reluctant to touch. In such cases, sensory work is carried out through movement and movement of the body, massages and soft or hard touch, in order to gradually reach the baby's ability to contain touch. The treatment style varies according to the passivity or activity of the baby. At the same time, work is done with the parents. Rejection of contact is not a simple response for anyone, and especially not for a mother who feels rejected and sometimes enters into cycles of emotional difficulty that requires processing and reassurance.
In addition, work is often done with the baby on the topic of eating, to make him want to eat, since in most cases, in children who suffer from a disorder in the development of the relationship, there is also a problem in the area of ​​eating.
A baby who is being cared for in a Mefna center, stays there most of the day and they work with him all his waking hours, while guiding the parents. Our experience shows that the babies whose worrisome signs were detected and whom we treated in their first year of life, eventually achieved all the milestones in development, and today they are normal children in everything."
The diagnosis takes place at the child psychiatry unit in Ichilov, headed by Dr. Nehemia Kiser. At the beginning of the diagnosis, disorders and physical diseases, such as hearing problems, which may be the cause of the symptoms are ruled out. Babies diagnosed with a disorder in the development of the relationship are referred for intensive treatment at the "Mafna" center. The center currently conducts courses A drop of milk, with the aim of teaching the nurses to spot suspicious signs of autism as early as possible. At the same time, Alonim asks to increase the parents' awareness of their children's development and to pay attention to the early signs For a very limited time, within which it is not always possible to indicate any suspicion."

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If you have detected two or more of the following signs in your baby, which last for at least three weeks, it is recommended to seek a diagnosis:
1. Excessive passivity (lack of crying, lack of movement, lack of interest in the environment)
2. Excessive activity (incessant crying for no apparent health reason, restlessness)
3. Reluctance and resistance to eat or breastfeed.
4. Absence of response to the parents' voice or presence (absence of smiling or murmuring)
5. Reluctance to contact parents (or any other person)
6. Lack of making direct eye contact (yes there is eye contact with objects)
7. Delay in motor development
8. Accelerated growth of head circumference (relative to the starting point and percentile)