Identification of Characteristics Associated With Symptom Remission in Autism
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autism
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Autism is defined as a lifelong pervasive developmental disability, as such, symptom recovery
      is considered rare. Reports by Lovaas and McEachin, Smith & Lovaas and more recently by
      Cohen, Amerine-Dickens, & Smith, Smith Groen et al. and Sutera Pandey et al suggest that
      intensive behavioral intervention programs during preschool years may result in improvement
      to the point where some children no longer meet criteria for autism by the time they reach
      school age. Similarly, there are a large number of anecdotal reports of children with autism
      who, following intensive biomedical intervention (e.g., gluten/casein free diets, vitamin
      supplements, chelation), are indistinguishable from their typically developing peers. The
      goal of the current research is to characterize the behavioral and biological profiles of
      children with autism who show significant symptom reduction such that they no longer meet
      criteria for autism (Remitted Autism [REM-AUT]) and to contrast them with a group of children
      who continue to meet criteria for autism (AUT) and to typically developing (TD) group of
      children. Examining whether neurobiological and neurobehavioral symptoms commonly reported in
      autism are as frequent and severe in children who have responded to treatment is an important
      first step in determining what factors may contribute to symptom remission in autism. In
      addition, understanding how children with remitted autism compare to typically developing
      children will help us better understand whether symptom improvement is through remediation
      (normalization of function) or compensation (achieving the same behavioral/adaptive outcome
      but through an alternative process).
    

Detailed description: 
      Autism is defined as a lifelong pervasive developmental disability, as such, symptom recovery
      is considered rare. Reports by Lovaas and McEachin, Smith & Lovaas and more recently by
      Cohen, Amerine-Dickens, & Smith, Smith Groen et al. and Sutera Pandey et al suggest that
      intensive behavioral intervention programs during preschool years may result in improvement
      to the point where some children no longer meet criteria for autism by the time they reach
      school age. Similarly, there are a large number of anecdotal reports of children with autism
      who, following intensive biomedical intervention (e.g., gluten/casein free diets, vitamin
      supplements, chelation), are indistinguishable from their typically developing peers. The
      goal of the current research is to characterize the behavioral and biological profiles of
      children with autism who show significant symptom reduction such that they no longer meet
      criteria for autism (Remitted Autism [REM-AUT]) and to contrast them with a group of children
      who continue to meet criteria for autism (AUT) and to typically developing (TD) group of
      children. Examining whether neurobiological and neurobehavioral symptoms commonly reported in
      autism are as frequent and severe in children who have responded to treatment is an important
      first step in determining what factors may contribute to symptom remission in autism. In
      addition, understanding how children with remitted autism compare to typically developing
      children will help us better understand whether symptom improvement is through remediation
      (normalization of function) or compensation (achieving the same behavioral/adaptive outcome
      but through an alternative process).
    

Time perspective: Other
Keywords: Outcome; Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorder