Autism Studies and Talking

Did you know that recent studies indicate that more than three-fourths of children who have been diagnosed as autistic can learn to talk? If these children learn verbal skills by age five, in adulthood they tend to be happier and higher functioning that do their nonverbal peers. Initial studies were done by Connie Kasari and colleagues at UCLA. Follow-up studies showed long-term language improvement for kids with autism after an intensive, targeted behavioral therapy program. Findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (May ’12). Some children do not seem to be able to learn useful language by age five, but studies suggest it is possible to acquire language later. The new studies show a method for teaching preschool-aged children basic skills that is aimed to help them develop language by five, and continue to make improvements years later.