Some ASD Children May Outgrow Their Symptoms

Statistics show that as many as 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with the overwhelming majority of child patients male.

However, there is hope that some of these children will outgrow the behavioral disorder that can affect frequent social interaction, learning and trasitions into the adult world.

Now, new findings presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies show that as many as one in every 14 autistic toddler will no longer meet the criteria of an ASD once they make the transition into elementary school. However, even for these children, a great majority will continue to struggle with emotional and behavioral barriers that may require some form of special education or treatment plan for a productive life in the future.

"When an early ASD diagnosis resolves, there are often other learning and emotional/behavioral diagnoses that remain," lead researcher Dr. Lisa Shulman, an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, explained in a press release.

Researchers examined the medical records of 28 remarkable children based on evidence of an early intervention program. Including a total of 569 children, all had been diagnosed with an ASD and lived in the Bronx, NY. All involved represented a wide range of ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. For instance, 46 percent of the participants were on Medicaid, while 44 percent were Hispanic, 36 Caucasian and 10 percent African-American, according to Medical Daily.

Many of the children who had initially met the criteria for an ASD were re-evaluated four years later, with a time frame of 2003 to 2013. Researchers found that about 38 percent no longer displayed symptoms of the disorder thereafter.

"Autism generally has been considered a lifelong condition, but seven percent of children in this study who received an early diagnosis experienced a resolution of autistic symptoms over time," Dr. Lisa Shulman of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children's Hospital at Montefiore stated in a press release. "Certainly, the hope is these remarkable children may someday surmount their residual challenges as well."

However, 92 percent of the participants still dealt with residual learning issues, along with emotional or behavioral problems, as well.

With future studies, researchers hope to further examine what may spark some of these inspiring transitions.