autistic kids

Since it has been scientifically established that the brain grows rapidly till age three, experts theorize that early interventions that target social deficits in autistic kids would be the ideal way to improve their social development.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales, Sydney Children Hospital and colleagues in the Cochrane Library have found that selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the scientific name for antidepressants, come with no benefits for the autistic children.

Katrina Williams, lead author of the study, informs, "Decisions about the use of SSRIs for established clinical indications that may co-occur with autism, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in adults or children, and anxiety in adults, should be made on a case-by-case basis.”

Findings of the study suggest that autistic children process language and sound a fraction of second slower than the unaffected kids. However, brain imaging can detect the condition in early infancy.

The researchers are hopeful that if successful, the discovery “may be refined into the first imaging biomarker for autism.”

Autism is a neurological disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs begin before a child is three-years-old.

Details of the study