Grandma knows best: New research explains how family members can impact an autism diagnosis
Study results show that approximately 50 percent of friends and family members reported that they had suspected a child to have a serious condition before they were aware that either parent was concerned. Maternal grandmothers and teachers were the two most common relationship categories to first raise concerns. "About half of the family and friends who reported being concerned about a child were reluctant to share their concerns," says Joseph D. Buxbaum , PhD, Director of The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai and co-author of the paper. "Our work shows the important role that family members and friends can play in the timing of a child's initial diagnosis of autism. Since early detection of ASD is critical to effective treatment interventions, we hope the study will serve as a call-to-action to encourage family and friends to share concerns early on." Study researchers conducted an online survey of 477 parents of children wit...