A few days ago, Scientific American published an article
online regarding research linking large brains to autism. [To read this article, please click
here.] Written by Karen Weintraub, the article entitled, “Autism Starts Months
before Symptoms Appear, Study Shows” summarizes a study published last week in
Nature. Led by psychologist Heather Hazlett at the University of North Carolina’s
Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, this research started about
ten years ago after earlier research indicated brains of children with autism
were unusually large by age two.
For this research, three MRI brain scans were done on 150 children, 100 of whom had older siblings with autism, putting them statistically more at risk for autism. These scans were done on children at the ages of six months, one year, and two years old. The data revealed that eight out of ten children who showed faster growth on the surface areas of their brains would later be diagnosed with autism.
Consequently, before children are typically diagnosed with autism, evidence of autism appears in the brain. This research indicates that brain enlargement seems to appear with the beginning of autism symptoms that are usually first noticed around eighteen months to two years of age. Although more research is necessary, MRI brain scans could potentially be an option for autism screening in high-risk children, such as those with siblings with autism, so that intervention could be started earlier.
Psychologist James McPartland of Yale University’s Child Study Center (who was not part of this research) recommends new possible treatments for infants diagnosed with autism. Described as “hyper-parenting,” this intervention involves more interaction between the child and parent with the parent cooing, laughing, and singing. He suggests: “Supersaturate a child’s environment with social information as much as you can and hope that it takes.”
More than twenty years ago, Alex’s pediatrician noted what a big head Alex had. Even though he was very typical for his age in his height and weight, he had a head circumference in the 90th percentile. His doctor half jokingly commented that the large head circumference just meant that he had a bigger brain. I doubt that he knew how true his assessment was, based upon the results of this new study. Although I tried to convince the pediatrician for over a year that something was wrong with Alex, he essentially dismissed me as a nervous first-time mom and assured me that Alex was fine. When he specifically asked me what I thought was the problem, I candidly admitted I thought Alex had autism. He asserted that I was wrong because Alex was “too smart to be autistic.” However, shortly after Alex turned four, he was diagnosed with autism after I finally insisted that he be evaluated.
Would an earlier diagnosis have made a difference? I doubt it. In the early 1990’s autism was less common than it is today, and finding qualified therapists was nearly impossible. Now that autism is more common, therapists are easier to find. However, the increase in autism rates means that many children must be on long waiting lists before they can begin therapy to help them develop needed skills. Moreover, we unknowingly practiced the “hyper-parenting” therapy Dr. McPartland describes, constantly engaging Alex with conversation, music, interactive baby games (such as "Peek-a-boo" and “This Little Piggy”), and reading aloud to him long before we ever suspected he had autism.
Perhaps more research needs to pursue the cause of the increased size of brains in infants with autism. What happens between birth and two years of age that might cause these brains to be enlarged? According to his official vaccination records, Alex received twelve shots by the time he was fifteen months old. [The current CDC recommended immunization schedule now calls for infants to have 25 shots by the time they are fifteen months old, not including annual flu shots.] At the top of Alex's medical form is the notation, “Newborn screening normal.” Could something in the vaccines have triggered the abnormal brain growth seen in autism? I believe so.
Certainly, his pediatrician was correct about Alex being smart; he’s the kid who can mentally calculate math problems with remarkable speed and accuracy, who taught himself to read by the age of three, and who possesses an amazing memory for details, dates, and figures. However, that large brain also means his language, fine motor, and social skills have been impaired, and he has had to learn to cope with sensory overload and anxiety.
While identifying brain characteristics commonly found in autism may prove useful to earlier diagnosis, research still needs to focus on what is causing these brain anomalies. Until we can clearly identify the causes of autism can we ever hope to find a cure for our children whose brains have been impaired. In the meantime, we celebrate every milestone Alex reaches, thankful for the progress he has made and for the healing God has provided while we wait.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You.” Psalm 39:7
For this research, three MRI brain scans were done on 150 children, 100 of whom had older siblings with autism, putting them statistically more at risk for autism. These scans were done on children at the ages of six months, one year, and two years old. The data revealed that eight out of ten children who showed faster growth on the surface areas of their brains would later be diagnosed with autism.
Consequently, before children are typically diagnosed with autism, evidence of autism appears in the brain. This research indicates that brain enlargement seems to appear with the beginning of autism symptoms that are usually first noticed around eighteen months to two years of age. Although more research is necessary, MRI brain scans could potentially be an option for autism screening in high-risk children, such as those with siblings with autism, so that intervention could be started earlier.
Psychologist James McPartland of Yale University’s Child Study Center (who was not part of this research) recommends new possible treatments for infants diagnosed with autism. Described as “hyper-parenting,” this intervention involves more interaction between the child and parent with the parent cooing, laughing, and singing. He suggests: “Supersaturate a child’s environment with social information as much as you can and hope that it takes.”
More than twenty years ago, Alex’s pediatrician noted what a big head Alex had. Even though he was very typical for his age in his height and weight, he had a head circumference in the 90th percentile. His doctor half jokingly commented that the large head circumference just meant that he had a bigger brain. I doubt that he knew how true his assessment was, based upon the results of this new study. Although I tried to convince the pediatrician for over a year that something was wrong with Alex, he essentially dismissed me as a nervous first-time mom and assured me that Alex was fine. When he specifically asked me what I thought was the problem, I candidly admitted I thought Alex had autism. He asserted that I was wrong because Alex was “too smart to be autistic.” However, shortly after Alex turned four, he was diagnosed with autism after I finally insisted that he be evaluated.
Would an earlier diagnosis have made a difference? I doubt it. In the early 1990’s autism was less common than it is today, and finding qualified therapists was nearly impossible. Now that autism is more common, therapists are easier to find. However, the increase in autism rates means that many children must be on long waiting lists before they can begin therapy to help them develop needed skills. Moreover, we unknowingly practiced the “hyper-parenting” therapy Dr. McPartland describes, constantly engaging Alex with conversation, music, interactive baby games (such as "Peek-a-boo" and “This Little Piggy”), and reading aloud to him long before we ever suspected he had autism.
Perhaps more research needs to pursue the cause of the increased size of brains in infants with autism. What happens between birth and two years of age that might cause these brains to be enlarged? According to his official vaccination records, Alex received twelve shots by the time he was fifteen months old. [The current CDC recommended immunization schedule now calls for infants to have 25 shots by the time they are fifteen months old, not including annual flu shots.] At the top of Alex's medical form is the notation, “Newborn screening normal.” Could something in the vaccines have triggered the abnormal brain growth seen in autism? I believe so.
Certainly, his pediatrician was correct about Alex being smart; he’s the kid who can mentally calculate math problems with remarkable speed and accuracy, who taught himself to read by the age of three, and who possesses an amazing memory for details, dates, and figures. However, that large brain also means his language, fine motor, and social skills have been impaired, and he has had to learn to cope with sensory overload and anxiety.
While identifying brain characteristics commonly found in autism may prove useful to earlier diagnosis, research still needs to focus on what is causing these brain anomalies. Until we can clearly identify the causes of autism can we ever hope to find a cure for our children whose brains have been impaired. In the meantime, we celebrate every milestone Alex reaches, thankful for the progress he has made and for the healing God has provided while we wait.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You.” Psalm 39:7
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