A recent study conducted by Boston Children's Hospital, reported by CBS News, suggests that several toddlers diagnosed with autism might outgrow it by age six. The study included 213 children initially diagnosed with autism between the ages of one and three, and reevaluated them at ages five to seven post-intervention. The results indicate that nearly 40% of these children didn't meet the autism criteria anymore by age six.
Similar findings were conveyed in another study issued in Fox News. The study cites that up to 37% of children initially diagnosed with autism within the ages of 12 and 36 months were not able to meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis by five to seven. The study also discovered that female children and those who have higher baseline adaptive skills were more probable to outgrow their diagnoses.
Despite encouraging findings, questions still exist surrounding the phenomena of children "outgrowing" their autism diagnoses. Potential factors like lifestyle and environmental circumstances could have led to over-diagnosis, however, another suggestion is that present treatments for autism may fall short of being maximally effective. Dr. William Barbaresi, Chief of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, posits that current studies' results should hasten a reconsideration for needing additional research to determine whether current treatment proves effective, or if considerate new efforts are required to develop treatment approaches.
The efficacy of current treatments and the concept of children "outgrowing" their autism diagnoses underscore the requirement for continuous evaluations and constant monitoring of child development. Dr. Elizabeth Harstad, a physician in developmental medicine at Boston Children's Hospital and study leader, emphasized the significance of parents remaining aware of their child's ongoing developmental needs, as they may continuously evolve and warrant adjustments to their support system.
While specific experts have voiced concerns about the impacts of elements such as increased social isolation and high screen usage during the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood development, it's essential, to consider that these elements might make some young children exhibit more autism spectrum-like behaviors, as stated by Dr. Jennifer Accardo, a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, in a Fox News article.
