The earlier the better for treating autism

The earlier the better for treating autism

Mariela Lombard/for New York Daily News

Dr. Joseph Buxbaum says parents of today are more aware of autism’s symptoms than in the past.

The specialist:

As director of the Seaver Autism Center at Mount Sinai, Dr. Joseph Buxbaum specializes in the neurobiology of psychiatric illnesses like autism. April is National Autism Awareness Month.

Whos at risk:

Two million American children and adults live with an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is a developmental disorder that manifests through deficits in social interaction and language use,

says Buxbaum. These two deficits occur alongside symptoms like repetitive behaviors, unusual interests, stereotypical behaviors or all of the above.

The CDC estimates that 1 in every 88 American children is on the autism spectrum.

One of the defining characteristics of autism spectrum disorders is onset in very early childhood.

To meet the criteria, a child must manifest symptoms before the age of 3, says Buxbaum. A recent paper found that there are signs that distinguish children with autism as early as six months old.

Most doctors and parents can identify the hallmarks of autism by age 18 months.

Autism spectrum disorders result from genetic mutations that change the connections in the brain.

The main risk factor is genetics, so autism tends to run in families, says Buxbaum. The younger siblings of children with autism have a 15-20 risk of developing the disorder.

Some evidence suggests that older fathers are at a higher risk of having children with autism, which may be due to the father's accumulation of environmental exposures that cause genetic mutation.

The severity of autism varies widely from child to child, with most children experiencing milder forms.

On the autism spectrum, autistic disorder is the more severe, says Buxbaum. About 1 in 4 children with an autism spectrum disorder have a severe form.

For unknown reasons, boys are four to five times more likely than girls to develop autism.

Signs and symptoms:

The key symptoms of autism spectrum disorders are built into the definition: social and language deficits, plus repeated and stereotyped behavior.

Parents are much more sensitized to the warning signs of autism t han they were a generation ago, says Buxbaum. At this point, most parents know that their children should be reacting to the people around them, for instance through a social smile that most babies develop by age six to eight weeks. Children with autism dont respond to social cues by making eye contact, smiling or turning to look when someone points.

Repeated and stereotyped behaviors often tip parents off to autism.