Dear Parents: This articles follows the previous one regarding the importance of PREVENTION in regular health care, and in mental health. I just returned from Brazil from a Conference on Child Psychiatry and Neurology in Sao Paulo. I was one of the International Speakers, and I was joined by other speakers from South Florida as well, including Dr. Roberto Tuchman, and Dr. Carlos Gadia, from the Dan Marino Center (Miami Children's Hospital) in Weston, Florida. Drs. Tuchman and Gadia spoke about the importance in screening children for autism early on in life, and how some of the children with symptoms of autism may also have seizure disorders. Having seizures without receiving treatment, the doctors mentioned, may lead to medical and neurological consequences that are serious, and this creates a more difficult child to treat, to help and support in school, and later on in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children be screened at their 18 and 24-month checkups for Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is clear that early intervention may increase the chances that a child will be able to develop in all areas of functioning in higher levels as opposed to waiting for her/him start school and then receive services. Please, make sure that your pediatrician is checking your children for all these conditions, and, if necessary, is referring you to specialists in the area as well. 

Finally, Dr. Tuchman's and Dr. Gadia's presentations could not be more on "time" as the Journal "Pediatrics" just published an article about Early Autism Detection on July 1st.  "Early Autism Detection: Are We Ready for Routine Screening?" by authors: 

• Mona Al-Qabandi, MD, MRCPCH^a, 
• Jan Willem Gorter, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)^b,^c, 
• Peter Rosenbaum, MD, FRCP(C)   Although such authors came to the conclusion that there are no standardized tests and screening tools to use in their practices, and not enough evidence to justify such protocols, they did state that if pediatricians notice any symptoms of speech delays among others, that they should screen their patients for autism early on. I am sure that child neurologists as well as developmental psychologists would be more aggressive in suggesting more regular screening to help in prevention. I hope I hear some responses from these professionals to the most recent recommendations in Pediatrics Journal. In the meantime, parents are the most important advocates for their children, and it is also up to them to ask questions, and to ask for screening when they visit their pediatricians.
•    I have been working with several families and their children who have looked for diagnosis, intervention, and public school placement early in life and the results are significantly more positive than the families who wait until their children reach the age of 5 or 6 (or even older) to come to terms with the fact that their child has Autism, and he/she needs special services. As a matter of fact, research has been finding out (in empirically-based studies) which strategies and approaches best help children (and their families) with symptoms of speech/language difficulties, repetitive behaviors, obsessions and lack of interest in others and in the general environment, among other symptoms (such as sensitivity to environment). If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to call or write. I run Parenting Groups for Parents of children with Developmental Disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders. I also run Social Skills Groups for children of many ages as well. 
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