A device that has been marketed as a way to detect autism in children under four years old has some doctors worried.

• The LENA Language and Autism Screener is a small monitor meant to fit into children's overalls.
  
• Children ages two to four years old wear the device and overalls for 12 hours, and then their parents mail the device back to the company for evaluation.
  
• The results of the test are based on the child's language ability, which is not always an accurate test for autism.

According to the spokesperson for the manufacturers of the device, parents need to bring the information to a professional, because "it is not a diagnosis, it is a detection."

Parents' reliance on the devices may due to the brevity of many doctor's appointments. Some "well baby" visits last about 10 minutes -- and parents who suspect something is wrong may believe that their pediatrician is not taking the time to address their concerns.

Labels: autism, screening, health_care

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are experimenting with MRI scans in infants in an effort to find a way to diagnose autism earlier.

"We're just terrible at identifying them at six months, even 12 months," said Dr. Kelly Botteron, child psychiatrist. "We really need something more like a laboratory test."

She and others are testing siblings of autistic children because they are at higher risk for the condition. This study will be ongoing for five years.

If treatment starts early, children have a better chance of functioning at higher levels. Autism is diagnosed every 20 minutes in the United States, and affects one in 150 children. The condition affects communication skills and social interaction, and involves repetitive behaviors.

Labels: autism, screening, testing

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Scientists are making progress in the effort to develop a prenatal test for autism.

Previous research studies have found higher levels of the male hormone testosterone in the fluids of babies who are born with autism, thereby opening the way to a prenatal test for the disorder. Autism now affects one in 150 American children, with symptoms ranging from severe mental incapacity to mild social impairments.

Though the test promises to provide significant insights into fetal wellness, the procedure is not without it critics.

Autism expert Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor at Cambridge University, believes that terminating pregnancies based on such prenatal testing could lead to fewer people being born who are gifted in mathematics. Baron-Cohen explained that autism becomes more common at the extremes of math excellence.

Labels: autism, screening, prenatal

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A study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne (Australia) found that children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder had more trouble identifying common smells than did their non-ADHD counterparts.

"[Warrick] Brewer [of ORYGEN Youth Health Research Centre] said the findings could lead to a smell test which would act as a screening tool for children with ADHD but would not replace current treatments."

Vicki Anderson, co-supervisor from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, agreed, saying the information could supplement established assessments for ADHD. Source: Kerala (India) News

Labels: screening, odors, smells

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