When It's More Than the 'Terrible Twos'
By JACKIE MORLOCK
Updated 1:39 PM EST, Wed, Dec 10, 2008
The terrible twos…branded with temper tantrums, constant mood swings and that one word that drives parents up a wall, “no.” It’s a phase that’s normal for most children, but for others it can be a sign of something more.
Now, local researchers have found that for some children, this is the prime time parents should watch for other signs that could signal autism. If those naughty behaviors are accompanied by developmental setbacks, loss of learned language skills or social ability, a child may be experiencing regressive autistic spectrum disorder (RASD).
Research scientist and associate professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Temple University, Gerry Stefanatos, talks more indepth about the disorder in December’s issue of the Neuropsychology Review.
Children diagnosed with autism who demonstrate a history of a regression, taking a step back instead of forward, in the developmental stage such as forgetting words they once knew and used, those behaviors characterize RASD.
The disorder is still something researchers are trying to fully understand, but from what they know, children with RASD develop normally, acquiring a small vocabulary and acting social, until about 18-24 months. That seems to be when they start to experience setbacks.
“One of the more obvious cues for parents is if the child no longer responds to his or her own name. Often times this is accompanied by deterioration in behavior. The child can become irritable, prone to tantrums,” said Stefanatos.
You can read more about RASD in the Science Daily.
First Published: Dec 10, 2008 12:52 PM EST
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