[Benjamin]

Some young children accurately diagnosed as autistic lose their symptoms and their diagnosis as they get older, say US researchers.

The findings of the National Institutes of Health study of 112 children appears to challenge the widely held belief that autism is a lifelong condition.

While not conclusive, the study, in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, suggests some children might possibly outgrow autism.

But experts urge caution.

Much more work is needed to find out what might explain the findings.

Dr Deborah Fein and her team at the University of Connecticut studied 34 children who had been diagnosed with autism in early childhood but went on to function as well as 34 other children in their classes at school.
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Although the diagnosis of autism is not usually lost over time, the findings suggest that there is a very wide range of possible outcomes”

Dr Thomas Insel Director of the National Institute of Mental Health

On tests - cognitive and observational, as well as reports from the children's parents and school - they were indistinguishable from their classroom peers. They now showed no sign of problems with language, face recognition, communication or social interaction.

For comparison, the researchers also studied another 44 children of the same age, sex and non-verbal IQ level who had had a diagnosis of "high-functioning" autism - meaning they were deemed to be less severely affected by their condition.

It became clear that the children in the optimal outcome group - the ones who no longer had recognisable signs of autism - had had milder social deficits than the high-functioning autism group in early childhood, although they did have other autism symptoms, like repetitive behaviours and communication problems, that were as severe.

The researchers went back and checked the accuracy of the children's original diagnosis, but found no reason to suspect that they had been inaccurate.
boy with autism Symptoms may be masked as they learn how to adapt to their condition
Label for life?

The researchers say there are a number of possible explanations for their findings.

It might be that some children genuinely outgrow their condition. Or perhaps some can compensate for autism-related difficulties.

Dr Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said: "Although the diagnosis of autism is not usually lost over time, the findings suggest that there is a very wide range of possible outcomes.
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Autism

People with autism usually have difficulties with social communication, social interaction and social imagination
It is a spectrum condition meaning while all people with autism share certain difficulties, the condition affects them differently
There are over 500,000 people with autism in the UK - that's one in every 100
There is no cure but there are a range of interventions available

Source: NHS Choices

"Subsequent reports from this study should tell us more about the nature of autism and the role of therapy and other factors in the long term outcome for these children."

It could be that autism cannot always be accurately defined or diagnosed, particularly since the condition affects people in different ways.

Indeed, experts have disagreed about what autism is.

The American Psychiatric Association is currently revising its diagnostic manual - the "bible" for doctors that lists every psychiatric disorder and their symptoms.

Its new version proposes changes he UK's National Autistic Society says could affect the way diagnoses will be given to people on the autism spectrum.

“With intensive therapy and support, it's possible for a small sub-group of high functioning individuals with autism to learn coping behaviours and strategies which would 'mask' their underlying condition”

Dr Judith Gould National Autistic Society

Instead of using the current terms of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified), people will be given an umbrella diagnosis of "autism spectrum disorder".

And their impairments will be reduced to two main areas - social communication/interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities.

Most diagnoses in the UK are based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), published by the World Health Organization, which is up for revision in 2015.

According to the National Autistic Society, more than one in every 100 people, more than 500,000 people in all, in the UK have autism.

About a fifth, an estimated 106,000, are school-aged children.

Dr Judith Gould, director of the National Autistic Society's Lorna Wing Centre for Autism, said: "Autism is a lifelong disability affecting the way that people communicate and interact with others.

"This study is looking at a small sample of high functioning people with autism and we would urge people not to jump to conclusions about the nature and complexity of autism, as well its longevity.

"With intensive therapy and support, it's possible for a small sub-group of high functioning individuals with autism to learn coping behaviours and strategies which would 'mask' their underlying condition and change their scoring in the diagnostic tests used to determine their condition in this research.

"This research acknowledges that a diagnosis of autism is not usually lost over time and it is important to recognise the support that people with autism need in order to live the lives of their choosing."

She said getting a diagnosis could be a critical milestone for children with autism and their families, often helping parents to understand their children better and helping them to support their children in reach

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21029593ing their full potential.

[thesheriff443]

from support from various group's people with autism learn how to cope with their condition better,and some will have better control of their trait's,
in most case's it's just as we get older we stop doing some of the thing's we did as children.
people on the spectrum will always have unde lying difficulties's,that are not apparent at first.

[AnnieK]

The autism spectrum is very broad too so I can imagine if it is a lesser form of autism children can appear to grow out of it.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by anniek76

The autism spectrum is very broad too so I can imagine if it is a lesser form of autism children can appear to grow out of it.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Good signs though

[Livia]

Originally Posted by anniek76

The autism spectrum is very broad too so I can imagine if it is a lesser form of autism children can appear to grow out of it.

I wonder whether some people diagnosed with the lesser form who appear to grow out of it may have been misdiagnosed in the first place? Like you say Annie, the spectrum is very broad, and so is the spectrum of human traits and characteristics.

[SharkAttack]

Originally Posted by Livia

I wonder whether some people diagnosed with the lesser form who appear to grow out of it may have been misdiagnosed in the first place? Like you say Annie, the spectrum is very broad, and so is the spectrum of human traits and characteristics.

Technically, we're all autistic on a scale of 1 to 100,000.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Livia

I wonder whether some people diagnosed with the lesser form who appear to grow out of it may have been misdiagnosed in the first place? Like you say Annie, the spectrum is very broad, and so is the spectrum of human traits and characteristics.

I do agree with this livia. Children develop at such different rates and have many traits and characteristics tht change as they develop. As a parent it becomes almost a neurosis to measure your child's development and panic if anything seems out of the ordinary. Autism is notoriously difficult to diagnose and takes time, my friend fought for a long time to have her son officially diagnosed but I also know of people who have been told their child are displaying autistic tendencies that have never been diagnosed and have just had a slower development than other children and have eventually caught up.

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by anniek76

I do agree with this livia. Children develop at such different rates and have many traits and characteristics tht change as they develop. As a parent it becomes almost a neurosis to measure your child's development and panic if anything seems out of the ordinary. Autism is notoriously difficult to diagnose and takes time, my friend fought for a long time to have her son officially diagnosed but I also know of people who have been told their child are displaying autistic tendencies that have never been diagnosed and have just had a slower development than other children and have eventually caught up.

my daughter did not get diagnosed until she was 16,

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

my daughter did not get diagnosed until she was 16,

Did you have to fight for the diagnosis. My friends son was 8 and was clearly having a hard time at school and would have benefited massively from an educational statement and support but the school would not recognise this and she ended up paying for private medical reports. It was disgraceful.

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by anniek76

Did you have to fight for the diagnosis. My friends son was 8 and was clearly having a hard time at school and would have benefited massively from an educational statement and support but the school would not recognise this and she ended up paying for private medical reports. It was disgraceful.

my daughter already had a statement due to delayed learning, due to having a rare protein condition from birth that delayed her anyway,but the delay in learning was put down to her medical condition and this was masking her autism,but as she got older a school pychologist said she she should be tested.

[Kizzy]

A misdiagnosis would infer a medical professional was wrong...
But they do mess up occasionally, children with oppositional conduct disorder and attention deficit have been diagnosed autistic before now.

[Nedusa]

Define Autism is it a physical disease,a psychological disorder, a chronic medical condition, a state of mind caused through poor social conditioning..???

How can children just grow out of it...???

[MTVN]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21029593ing their full potential eh Ben

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Define Autism is it a physical disease,a psychological disorder, a chronic medical condition, a state of mind caused through poor social conditioning..???

How can children just grow out of it...???

It just is. As wacky and flawed as it may seem to you, scientists' investigations and studies are a damnsite more reliable than what you think is and isn't true.

I have no idea about the more severe types of Autism, but I imagine those with mild Aspeger's syndrome, etc, may well grow out of it.

Don't prioritise your reasoning with specialised psychologists' hypotheses.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Redway

It just is. As wacky and flawed as it may seem to you, scientists' investigations and studies are a damnsite more reliable than what you think is and isn't true.

I have no idea about the more severe types of Autism, but I imagine those with mild Aspeger's syndrome, etc, may well grow out of it.

Don't prioritise your reasoning with specialised psychologists' hypotheses.

And you agree that one study of 34 children disproves the fact that Autism is a lifelong condition?....ok

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

And you agree that one study of 34 children disproves the fact that Autism is a lifelong condition?....ok

Read my post. I said that whatever they are, they're much more reliable than one person's reasoning. That's a fact. A study of 34 children is hardly going to prove or disprove anything at this stage (just possible predictions) but I'll take experienced professionals' word for it over that of ordinary individuals' objections to it any day of the week.

[Kizzy]

Well nobody is an expert on here so all we have is our opinion,
Nedusa didn't say anything was or wasn't true as far as I can see either.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Well nobody is an expert on here so all we have is our opinion,
Nedusa didn't say anything was or wasn't true as far as I can see either.

Fine, but some opinions are more substantiated and relevant than others.

Scientific research and theories from psychologists are more likely to be factual and objective than what one person thinks.

[Kizzy]

If you can back up your opinion with relevant reliable, statistical information from reputable sources yes.
Otherwise no...no matter who you are, even me.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

If you can back up your opinion with relevant reliable, statistical information from reputable sources yes.
Otherwise no...no matter who you are, even me.

Isn't that what these psychologists just did? Again, it doesn't prove or disprove an entire theory but at least there's some form of substantiation for it.

[Josiah.]

I'm 14 and I have Autism and I just realized that you can probably grow out of autism if you get the right kind of therapy (i.e. Speech, Occupational, Social Skills Group).