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Cartoons Could Help Diagnose Autism

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Mar 30, 2009 6:23 pm US/Mountain

Cartoons Could Help Diagnose Autism

Reporting
Dr. Dave Hnida
DENVER (CBS4) ― A surprisingly simple tool may help parents detect the early signs of autism in a child -- cartoons.

A study published in the journal Nature looked at how 2-year-olds responded to the action of cartoons.

In the study from Yale, researchers created five cartoon versions of children's games such as "peek-a-boo" and "patty-cake." The researchers found a child with autism did not respond to the action in the cartoons the way other children did. In the children with autism, their eyes did not track the fast movements and the noise of a cartoon the way other children did.

The researchers said parents may notice their children glazing over to what's on the television screen as early as age eight months.

Doctors have several signs they tell parents to be aware of as early autism markers. By age four months a baby should be making eye, by nine months he or she should be babbling a lot and by 12 months a child should be pointing at objects and acting playful.

A formal screening for autism can be done in the doctor's office at age 18 months.

Making a diagnosis for autism is complex but an early diagnosis can help get children into intense therapy designed to rewire a young developing brain.

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