
Is autism reversible?
A new study has found that some children who exhibit symptoms of the disorder recover completely
By Katie McdonoughTopics: Autism, autism spectrum, aspergers, Science, Research, research study, Life News, News
A study by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that a small but significant group on the autism spectrum made major improvements in behavioral therapy for unknown, perhaps biological reasons.
It is the largest study to date of such extraordinary cases.
Research has shown that between 1 and 20 percent of children diagnosed with autism no longer exhibit many of the disorder’s signature symptoms after a few years, often resulting in a reversal of the diagnosis. It was long assumed that these were examples of misdiagnosis, but the new study suggests that might not be the case.
As reported by the New York Times:
“This is the first solid science to address this question of possible recovery, and I think it has big implications,” said Sally Ozonoff of the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis, who was not involved in the research. “I know many of us as would rather have had our tooth pulled than use the word ‘recover,’ it was so unscientific. Now we can use it, though I think we need to stress that it’s rare.”
The study, led by Deborah Fein of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, worked with 34 people who had been diagnosed with autism before the age of 5 but no longer had any symptoms. Researchers conducted interviews with them, and sometimes their parents, to gauge their social and communication skills.
According to the Times, Dr. Fein and her team found “no differences between the group of 34 formerly diagnosed people and a group of 34 matched control subjects who had never had a diagnosis.”
The team plans to conduct further research to measure what, if any, therapies, behavioral and biological indicators will predict such a reversal.
But they also caution against false hope.
“I want to stress to parents that it’s a minority of kids who are able to do this, and no one should think they somehow missed the boat if they don’t get this outcome,” Dr. Fein told the Times.
Katie McDonough is an assistant editor for Salon, focusing on lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salo
You Might Also Like
More Related Stories
-
John Horne Burns: The writer Hemingway and Vidal envied
-
NSA spying kills my faith in America
-
Five easy steps for becoming a rape apologist
-
How Obamacare shortchanges low-wage workers
-
Texas councilwoman outraged over billboard featuring gay couple
-
Guys worry about sex on the first date too
-
Miss Utah gives wonderfully succinct answer to question about women and work
-
GOP lawmaker: Extreme abortion ban justified because of masturbating fetuses
-
Samantha Bee faces down the gay lobby
-
What "The Bling Ring" gets wrong about Valley girls
-
Pentagon to begin training women for elite combat roles by 2015
-
From "Bling Ring" to Oprah, "The Secret" lives on
-
I'm still angry about the affair
-
Looking to the mother I barely knew
-
Chicago firefighters charged with attempted rape of an unconscious woman
-
No one understands how hard it is to be Glenn Beck, says Glenn Beck
-
Five major takeaways from Edward Snowden Q&A
-
Bloomberg's Siri joke slights female engineers
-
Women make up 50 percent of NASA's incoming team of astronauts
-
Why didn't anyone help?
-
How our brains separate empathy from disgust
Featured Slide Shows
Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)
close X- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.
-
In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.
-
This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.
-
Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.
-
An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.
-
Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.
-
Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.
-
People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.
-
On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.
-
The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.
-
Recent Slide Shows
-
Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)
-
The week in 10 pics
-
Photos: Turmoil and tear gas in Instanbul's Gezi Park - Slideshow
-
10 summer food festivals worth the pit stop
-
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
The week in 10 pics
-
10 summer food festivals worth the pit stop
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
9 amazing drive-in movie theaters still standing
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
Netflix's April Fools' Day categories
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
-
The week in 10 pics
Related Videos
More Related Stories
-
John Horne Burns: The writer Hemingway and Vidal envied
-
NSA spying kills my faith in America
-
Five easy steps for becoming a rape apologist
-
How Obamacare shortchanges low-wage workers
-
Texas councilwoman outraged over billboard featuring gay couple
-
Guys worry about sex on the first date too
-
Miss Utah gives wonderfully succinct answer to question about women and work
-
GOP lawmaker: Extreme abortion ban justified because of masturbating fetuses
-
Samantha Bee faces down the gay lobby
-
What "The Bling Ring" gets wrong about Valley girls
-
Pentagon to begin training women for elite combat roles by 2015
-
From "Bling Ring" to Oprah, "The Secret" lives on
-
I'm still angry about the affair
-
Looking to the mother I barely knew
-
Chicago firefighters charged with attempted rape of an unconscious woman
-
No one understands how hard it is to be Glenn Beck, says Glenn Beck
-
Five major takeaways from Edward Snowden Q&A
-
Bloomberg's Siri joke slights female engineers
-
Women make up 50 percent of NASA's incoming team of astronauts
-
Why didn't anyone help?
-
How our brains separate empathy from disgust
Most Read
-
Why Sarah Palin actually matters again Joan Walsh
-
GOP plan to appeal to millennials: "Make abortion funny" Alex Seitz-Wald
-
Why didn't anyone help? Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
Lynda Obst: Hollywood's completely broken Lynda Obst
-
To my daughter on Father's Day: Sorry I used to be a sexist Mo Elleithee
-
Rahm Emanuel is losing control of his city Mark Guarino
-
The best of Tumblr porn Tracy Clark-Flory
-
TSA agent allegedly tells teenage girl to "cover herself" Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
Museum that discriminates against people says it is being discriminated against Katie Mcdonough
-
Study: Reading novels makes us better thinkers Tom Jacobs, Pacific Standard

Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com

2997 points2998 points2999 points | 442 comments

274 points275 points276 points | 6 comments

60 points61 points62 points | 20 comments
From Around the Web
Presented by Scribol
-
Diane Gilman: Baby Boomers: A New Life-Construct -- From "Invisible to Invincible!" -
Susan Gregory Thomas: Why Divorced Boomer Moms Don't Deserve The Bad Rap -
British Nanny Offered An Annual Salary Of $200,000 -
Arianna Huffington: What I Did (and Didn't Do) On My Summer Vacation -
Vivian Diller, Ph.D.: Maybe Happiness Begins At 50




You Will Never Be Able To Look At Judi Dench The Same Way Again

Comments
2 Comments