Validation of the Phenomenon of Autistic Regression Using Home Videotapes

Abstract

This study validates the existence of early autistic regression.

Rate of Head Growth Decelerates and Symptoms Worsen in the Second Year of Life in Autism

“…Between 15 and 34 months, this infant demonstrated a continued decline in skills, most notably in exploration of novel toys, attention, response to change, and range of interests. Werner and Dawson (2005) reported a decline in complex babble, pointing, social gaze, and orienting to name as evidenced from home videotapes. Landa and Garrett-Mayer (2006) reported a slowing and loss of fine and gross motor skills, as well as receptive and expressive language skills, between 12 and 24 months.…”

“…Whereas at 1 year, [the infant with autism] achieved a developmental index of 82 (twelfth percentile rank), at 2 years of age, he achieved a composite score of 63, which placed him at the first percentile in terms of overall cognitive ability" (Dawson et al 2000, p. 308). The second piece of evidence came from findings derived from a subsample of the children who were part of the head circumference study reported here (Werner and Dawson 2005). In this study, home videotapes of children's first-and second-year birthday parties were collected on young children with ASD with and without a reported history of regression as well as typically developing children.…”

“…In addition, some infants failed to display communicative babbling. Werner and Dawson (2005) used home videotapes of infants later diagnosed with autism to validate the phenomenon of autistic regression in the second year of life. One-year-old infants whose parents reported early onset of autism symptoms (i.e., symptoms evident in the first 12 months of life) displayed fewer joint attention and complex babbling and words at 12 months compared with infants with autistic regression.…”

Evidence for multiple loci from a genome scan of autism kindreds

“…Whereas most children with autism develop symptoms in the first year of life, approximately a quarter appear to develop normally, then regress in the second or third year of life. 1 Autism is considered a spectrum disorder with heterogeneity in symptom presentation. Approximately 70% of individuals with autism have mental retardation.…”

Mental health disorders in the first years of life: autism spectrum disorders, constitutional and residual-organic abnormalities

“…Между тем в настоящее время признается, что 10-20% аутистов имеют на 1-м году жизни нормальное пси-хическое развитие [45][46][47]. При этом не выявлено значи-мых различий в симптомах и прогнозе у детей с регресси-ей, возникшей позже 1-го года, по сравнению с заболев-шими еще в младенчестве [47].…”