Playing Peek-a-Boo with Infants Could Help Diagnose Autism Earlier

It's fair to say that many parents whose children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) all have one thing in common: They wish they could have known it was a factor sooner. Early intervention can save a lot of heartache when it comes to helping children with autism, and now research is showing that peek-a-boo might help indicate if a child will fall somewhere on the spectrum.

Currently the only way to diagnose ASD is through behavioral observation, so most kids aren't diagnosed until they are toddlers.

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Inherently behavioral monitoring also comes with a bias, which can lead to a later diagnosis as well.

Scientists recently used neuroimaging technology to measure brainwaves in infants less than 6 months old to measure their emotional range.

They used nonsocial stimuli (i.e. presenting a car) and social stimuli (playing peek-a-boo) to gauge their reactions.

If a child showed less brain activity during the social stimuli, it could be an indicator that he may fall somewhere on the spectrum.

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Study leader Dr. Sarah Lloyd-Fox, from Birkbeck, University of London, said “Identifying early patterns of altered development which may later associate with ASD is important, because it will allow doctors to offer earlier interventions and provide families with earlier avenues for support. This might mean giving the child and parents new strategies to reengage their attention towards important social cues and learn different ways of interacting.”

Lloyd-Fox also noted that although it may not immediately signify early signs of autism, it could indicate how a child's reaction during a highly socially developmental time in their lives could lead to them developing autism later on.

By being able to identify even the tiniest beginnings of autism can dramatically impact a child's quality of life and education.

And if you're concerned about your child's behavioral tendencies, it's better to act sooner rather than later.