Early Autism Therapy Effective, Study Finds

Therapy beginning as early as age 18 months can greatly improve symptoms of autism, researchers say. The new study included 48 children. Their ages ranged from 18 to 30 months as the study began. Some of the children received specialized therapy. They worked one-on-one with a therapist to improve social and communication skills. The other children received less specialized care. After two years, the group that got the intense therapy improved more than the other group in IQ and language skills. About 30% were given a new diagnosis, with a less severe form of autism. Only 5% of the other group had a new diagnosis. The Associated Press wrote about the study November 30. It was published online by the journal Pediatrics.