Of course it’s exciting news that early intervention works. But, the magic is in the details.
In this study, parents were coached to pay attention to subtle signs from their children (with autism) that they previously missed. When parents have seemingly non-responsive infants (not cooing, engaging in reciprocal eye gazing, etc) the adult often feels rejected and starts to do less of the interactive things parents generally do with their kids. By learning to spot the much more subtle interactive communication from children with autism, parents are more able to socialize their kids “upwards” and they gain more skills.
Treatment at earliest age reduces symptoms of autism spectrum disorder