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ASPartOfMe
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08 Aug 2019, 3:38 pm

Local Study Aims To Prevent Autism Through Early Intervention

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Siblings of children with autism have a one-in-five chance of developing autism as well. In a first-of-its-kind study in New England, a local researcher is screening babies soon after birth to see whether the very earliest intervention might help prevent autism in these at-risk children.

“I noticed that her language wasn’t increasing,” said school teacher Lauren Byron. She suspected her almost 2-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, had autism.

“Still, having somebody else assess your child and tell you that they’re on the autism spectrum was kind of devastating,” Byron told WBZ-TV.

Infant Sibling Project at The New England Center for Children in Southboro. Dr. MacDonald and her team are looking for the earliest markers of autism in very young babies and are replicating a Wisconsin study from 2017.

“What they found was that when they identified those markers and treated them right away, they could prevent a full onset of an autism diagnosis,” Dr. MacDonald said.

In her study, babies younger than 6 months with affected siblings undergo an assessment in their homes every other week until they’re at least 2 years old. Lauren’s third child, 3-month old Graeme, is one of those babies.

Dr. MacDonald looks for eye contact, tracking an object from side to side, turning their head to sounds (like the shake of a rattle), babbling and smiling.

If red flags are found, treatment begins immediately.

My nomination for most ablest article of the year so far.
Let infants be infants.


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Mountain Goat
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08 Aug 2019, 3:50 pm

But what is the treatment? Counselling? (Sorry. My humour). But what do they do?



BenderRodriguez
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08 Aug 2019, 4:07 pm

Mountain Goat wrote:
But what is the treatment? Counselling?

Exactly! How do they "treat" a six-month-old to for autism? And since when "early intervention could prevent a full onset of an autism diagnosis"?!

I mean the whole thing sounds like a load of bollocks (no reflection on you, ASPartOfMe)


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Last edited by BenderRodriguez on 08 Aug 2019, 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sweetleaf
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08 Aug 2019, 4:09 pm

Mountain Goat wrote:
But what is the treatment? Counselling? (Sorry. My humour). But what do they do?


IDK perhaps they with-hold food when the baby doesn't do the 'normal' behaviors that are expected. I sure hope not 8O


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ASPartOfMe
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08 Aug 2019, 6:47 pm

BenderRodriguez wrote:
Mountain Goat wrote:
But what is the treatment? Counselling?

Exactly! How do they "treat" a six-month-old to for autism? And since when "early intervention could prevent a full onset of an autism diagnosis"?!

I mean the whole thing sounds like a load of bollocks (no reflection on you, ASPartOfMe)

My guess is some sort of ABA. Based on genetics and environment the human brain wires itself most rapidly in the earliest part of life. Behavioral therapies rewire the brain. Theoretically, if you can detect autism at the earliest stages, through ABA you can intercept, deflect ie "prevent" the genetic predisposition to wire the brain Autistic at this key stage of human brain wiring.

WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY?


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DanielW
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08 Aug 2019, 6:52 pm

hopefully they won't be force-fed bleach as seems to be the horrid "cure-all" of the moment.



BenderRodriguez
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08 Aug 2019, 6:56 pm

ASPartOfMe wrote:
BenderRodriguez wrote:
Mountain Goat wrote:
But what is the treatment? Counselling?

Exactly! How do they "treat" a six-month-old to for autism? And since when "early intervention could prevent a full onset of an autism diagnosis"?!

I mean the whole thing sounds like a load of bollocks (no reflection on you, ASPartOfMe)

My guess is some sort of ABA. Based on genetics and environment the human brain wires itself most rapidly in the earliest part of life. Behavioral therapies rewire the brain. Theoretically, if you can detect autism at the earliest stages, through ABA you can intercept, deflect ie "prevent" the genetic predisposition to wire the brain Autistic at this key stage of human brain wiring.

WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY?


ABA at that age is a pretty chilling thought :x


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DanielW
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08 Aug 2019, 8:00 pm

BenderRodriguez wrote:
ABA at that age is a pretty chilling thought :x


ABA at ANY age is a chilling thought



Rainbow_Belle
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09 Aug 2019, 1:47 am

Therapy does not work for Autism and is a waste of time. Autism is something we are born with or not. Working to prevent from getting Autism is an approach that will not work. Autism exists and there will always be some people with Autism.
There needs to be more understanding of Autism and support networks should work with us and not try to cure with useless therapy or medication that only creates more issues. Holistic approach through diet, exercise and doing hobbies/interests we enjoy will help to support people with Autism.



carlos55
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09 Aug 2019, 7:46 am

Preventing disabilities from occuring is not ableism, if that was the case it would automatically apply to all doctors & medical professionals.

Whether it works or not is another thing and i have my doubts about that.


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magz
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09 Aug 2019, 9:55 am

carlos55 wrote:
Preventing disabilities from occuring is not ableism, if that was the case it would automatically apply to all doctors & medical professionals.

Whether it works or not is another thing and i have my doubts about that.

If only we could really prevent disability, not make it even more invisible.


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DanielW
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09 Aug 2019, 10:04 am

magz wrote:
carlos55 wrote:
Preventing disabilities from occuring is not ableism, if that was the case it would automatically apply to all doctors & medical professionals.

Whether it works or not is another thing and i have my doubts about that.

If only we could really prevent disability, not make it even more invisible.


That's all most poeple want...to make autism invisible. Thats what ABA does. Well that and cause lasting psychological harm.



magz
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09 Aug 2019, 10:11 am

ABA is just a method of training, it's a tool, it can be used with many goals.
What I find very wrong is a goal to make a child "indistinguishable from their peers".


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09 Aug 2019, 10:24 am

They make it sound like that autism is created by environment. That autistic kids can make their siblings be autistic. I know my mom believes this too and so does my husband but he believes you need to have the gene to develop autism. An NT child that doesn't have the gene won't develop autism from their environment. My mom believes I would have been more autistic if I didn't get treatment as a child and if I was kept in my self contained classroom and I might be in a group home or something and been a Nell.

I have heard stories about kids outgrowing autism and now they were "normal." Raun Kaufman was one of them but I have seen comments saying he was misdiagnosed but he believes he was severely autistic and then grew out of it thanks to early intervention his parents gave him and they started the Sun Rise Program. So far he has not burned out and regressed.


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ASPartOfMe
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09 Aug 2019, 12:27 pm

carlos55 wrote:
Preventing disabilities from occuring is not ableism, if that was the case it would automatically apply to all doctors & medical professionals.

Whether it works or not is another thing and i have my doubts about that.

Ableism is in part defined as thinking the disabled are inferior. If you are working to prevent autism you are inherently thinking autistics are inferior otherwise why would you be spending all that money to prevent it?

If one does not think autistics are inferior why would you think signs of autistic traits are “red flags”?, Why would a parent think an autism diagnosis is “devastating”?


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“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


martianprincess
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09 Aug 2019, 10:25 pm

Using the word "prevent" is inappropriate. Autism can't be "prevented" and the implication here is not good.

However, early intervention to help children with autism can help them learn to communicate more effectively, manage their anxiety, and decrease the intensity of meltdowns.

I don't believe the goal should be to eradicate autism but I don't think that's the real goal here, and early intervention doesn't change kids for the worse and it doesn't erase their autism because it's not meant to. It's meant to help them. My son is successful in school and life because he had speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, and he can effectively calm himself down enough so it doesn't escalate to a full blown meltdown. Because, I don't know about you, but it's way more frustrating to have to figure out everything on your own, or not being able to get the people around you to understand you. It sure was for me growing up.


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