New Autism Regression Research Looks Promising for Diagnosis

Developmental regression in autism has been a debate in the medical world for a long time. Literature and some researchers believe there are two types of autism: one form that shows up at birth, and another that presents itself later in childhood. The condition causes difficulty with communication and language in general. 

There has been a debate about the development of autism regression for a long time in the medical field. Some doctors feel that autism can appear in two types, one which manifests at birth, and a second that starts in a later part of childhood. The question arises as to whether or not a child will suddenly start to exhibit certain symptoms once they reach three years of age after seeming quite normal up to then. Unimaginable fear may develop in the parents of a child who has suddenly stopped behaving normally or carrying out previous activities. This change is known as autism regression. This topic has been the subject of study for the past five years, and some researchers refer to it as a phenomenon.  

Through some studies, it was assumed that children with autism regression were born of parents who were not affectionate, which led to delays in development. However, in recent years, vaccinations are being blamed for the disorder, but up to now, there has been no concrete evidence to link either of these theories. As per Sally Ozonoff, this idea of regression is not true and thus needs to be eliminated. She is of the belief that there are not two types of autism. It is said that stories of children suffering from autism were presented in a conference that went against what had once been believed to be true.

Currently, she is working on her latest research paper, which is known to feature the hot topic of autism regression. The paper is titled “Everyone Regresses.”  Some researchers feel that the overgrowth of the brain up to a period of two years of age could explain the sudden onset of symptoms. There were studies carried out which showed that, after a period of two years, the brains of these children underwent a rapid pruning. This rapid growth was then followed by a cutback, which could lead to possible signs of autism in the child. One of the doctors carried out a scan of about 15 children whose brains showed this particular pattern of overgrowth when their age was between six to twelve months. This can then prove that there were symptoms at birth.

The various research studies carried out are of great importance for the continual understanding of this phenomenon. If psychiatrists and doctors can pull themselves away from the textbook definition of autism, it can make diagnosis less complicated and more easily determined as the correct medical condition. The current theory revolves around the signs arising during infancy or the medical condition simply showing up all of a sudden in the child. Multiple researchers have proven that it generally does not happen all of a sudden, and it has also been proven that there are various symptoms of the condition which can be diagnosed as early as six months of age.