Amy Wetherby on early intervention and autism

[Guest guest]

Here is a write up of a lecture I heard in Champaign this week.

Ann Osterling was also there and was kind enough to send this to me.

The notable part is that the recommendation for effective

intervention with children who have autism, is a limited number of

consultation hours and about 25 hours of intervention provided by the

family. The point is, therapy does not have to cost a lot of money.

You can check out Amy Wetherby's work at either www.firstsigns.org

or www.firstwords.fsu.edu

Search News-Gazette.com

Expert: Early detection of autism important

Published Online Nov 2, 2007

By Amy F. Reiter

URBANA – Amy Wetherby, a professor of communication disorders at

Florida State University, may not be an actual rock star, but for

parents and researchers of children with autism, she might as well

be.

" I've been a fan of hers for several decades, " said Champaign speech

pathologist Ann Osterling.

In the annual Goldstick Family Lecture in the Study of Communication

Disorders on the University of Illinois campus, Wetherby talked about

how, when caught and treated early, children with autism spectrum

disorders can make great strides in social and communication skills.

To treat autism early, though, parents need not shell out for 25

hours a week with a clinician, the amount of hands-on learning

frequently recommended, Wetherby said.

But first, Wetherby went over the definition of autism, a spectrum

disorder found in about 1 in 150 people. People with autism

frequently have impaired social interaction (like not looking at the

person with whom they are interacting), impaired communication (like

not being able to ask for what they want), and a limited number of

interests (like fixated attention on a toy or type of motion).

" Is there an epidemic of autism? Probably not, " Wetherby said. " We're

just way better at counting. "

With the greater attention to autism in the country, she said,

research on early detection is also growing – which is good news,

since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended this week that

all children be screened for autism at least twice before age 2.

Wetherby has spent years researching early " red flags " of autism –

like no babbling or gesturing by 12 months, no single words by 16

months, no two-word phrases by 24 months.

Using videos comparing the actions of children with autism to those

without, Wetherby demonstrated how a non-autistic 20-month-old, given

a jar of bubbles, might hand the jar to his mother after failing to

unscrew a lid, while an autistic 20-month-old might turn the jar on

its side and roll it, trying to open it again and again the same way.

" Some flap, some roll, some wobble, " Wetherby said of common repeated

motions children with autism can make. " What he is doing is not

necessarily good for brain development. They tune out the

environment.

" Good intervention can definitely help them pay attention, " said

Wetherby. " Early is better, we know that. "

She illustrated the point with a series of videos of a boy named

. At 2, wouldn't make eye contact and couldn't talk.

To improve his skills, he spends three hours a week with a clinician

who works with him and his mother, showing 's mother how to

encourage communication, like sitting opposite to to make it

easy for him to see Mom, or making a repeated motion contingent on

sound, like counting to three before rolling a ball. " The main thing

that we are trying to do is get the child actively engaged, " Wetherby

said. " It takes a lot of work, but it is not rocket science. "

Aside from those three hours with the clinician, and his family

spend at least 22 hours a week working on these skills. At age 5,

is talking in full sentences, making eye contact and thoughtful

gestures to his mother.

The idea of paying for three hours with a clinician, rather than 25,

could be a lifesaver financially, said Ellen Garber Bronfeld of

Northbrook, who has a 21-year-old son with autism.

" People are increasingly stressed about the cost (of interventions

for children with autism), " she said. " What Amy has pointed out is

that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. "

Osterling agreed, adding that Wetherby's suggestion was a more

realistic option for families. She also agreed that early diagnosis

was crucial, and shouldn't be ignored.

" Too many times, pediatricians will tell families, 'He's a boy; just

let him grow,' " Osterling said. But " the sooner we can get in and

start doing intervention, the better the outcome. "

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