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A
Closer Look at Autism
(HealthDayNews)
-- Early problems with simple face-to-face interaction may be
responsible for the difficulties autistic children have in pointing
and showing objects to other people, says new British research.
The results of the two-year study
from the University of Durham could provide better understanding
of the early language and communication problems found in children
with autism.
"We have known for a long
time that children with autism have special difficulties with
pointing and showing objects to other people. Until recently,
however, many researchers believed that this problem was due to
the child's lack of awareness that people's thoughts and reactions
were directed towards objects and events in the world around them,"
lead author Dr. Susan Leekam says in a statement.
"Our new research suggests
a different interpretation -- that the failure to point and show
things to others may emerge from much simpler beginnings of face-to-face
interaction. These findings indicate that the problems may start
even earlier in development than previously recognized,"
Leekam says.
The study included 20 pre-school
children with autism and 20 developmentally delayed children in
a comparison group. The two groups were matched for mental age.
The use of voice and touch by adults
playing with the children was measured by a computer-based digital
video analysis system. The system also measured the use of pointing
and showing by the children.
Using this method, the researchers
were able to examine in detail the effectiveness of touch or gaining
a child's eye gaze and other methods of attention-seeking used
by the adults.
The researchers found an autistic
child's difficulty in responding to face-to-face interaction was
strongly related to the problem of pointing and showing. Autistic
children who did no pointing or showing objects to the adults
were those most impaired in face-to-face interaction.
"This finding has implications
for early intervention. Many parents are aware of difficulties
long before a diagnosis of autism is made. By gaining greater
understanding of these very early problems we hope that ways can
be found to target them before other difficulties emerge,"
Leekam says.
More information
Here's where you can learn more
about autism.
Reference
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