Train the parent to cure autism

Autistic spectrum behaviours are due mostly to genetics: kids are born that way. All the same, correct training early in life will equip them with the necessary skills.

Here is a very impressive just-published study showing how. Parents were trained 1:1 to use a video program identifying subtle communication cues from the baby. A blind assessment at 3 years of age (of the child, not of the parent) showed a huge improvement compared to controls.

“The finding also emphasises the importance of providing supports to children based on functional difficulties, rather than the presence or absence of a diagnosis.”