Some data show that symptoms of autism can be found in infants as young as 6 months of age. These symptoms become more pronounced as the child grows to 1 year of age Currently, the most anticipated work of experts is dedicated to finding symptoms of autism when infants are only 6 months old. In dealing with the complex world of autism, a new battle cry is getting louder and louder: early diagnosis! The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a “Know Your 2.5 Million Children with Autism” campaign with the goal of educating health care providers and parents to recognize the red flags and intervene in autism as early as possible. Today, many children are not diagnosed by specialists until after their second birthday or even at age 3, and some children with autism enter elementary school without being noticed. Thomas K. Insel, president of the American Institute of Mental Health, said, “If you have a child with autism, you’re not going to get it. Insel said, “If there was a way to diagnose autism soon after a child is born, we could train the brain and there would be a real breakthrough in autism research.” Scientists are working that way, with experts from the American Autism Research Alliance, the American Academy of Child Health and Human Development – 14 institutes from Harvard to the University of Washington – all working to study the newborn siblings of children with autism who share genetic commonalities. By measuring data on these infants’ vision, articulation and response to the outside world, scientists hope to identify whether an infant has autism by age 1. Canadian researchers Ronnie K. Zwajemba, Ph. Bryson have registered 200 newborn siblings of children with autism, more than half of whom were observed before age 2, and close to 10 percent have been diagnosed with autism. Dr. Tshwajemba said that although the early symptoms are not obvious, they can still be diagnosed. Preliminary data show that the diagnosis can be confirmed around 6 months of age, and that children with the condition are typically quieter and more passive than their peers, with slower motor development, including poorer ability to sit and reach out to touch objects. These symptoms become more pronounced as the child reaches 1 year of age. A normal child playing peek-a-boo (a game in which the child’s face is hidden from view to amuse the child) will have a vivid expression as she looks at her playmate, makes sounds or touches the peek-a-boo. Children with autism have the opposite reaction, they have no facial expressions and do not look at their playmates. Dr. Zwajemba said, “The most striking characteristic of a child with autism is the lack of expression.” In the 60 years since autism was diagnosed, this serious developmental disorder has remained a mystery to the modern medical community. Experts have so far been unable to identify the cause of the onset and have not found an effective treatment. Every day, we challenge such thieves. Every day, new treatments emerge worldwide. Many children are currently treated with medications to balance hyperexcitability with anticonvulsants or Ritalin, low-dose antidepressants to reduce the child’s stereotypical mechanical repetitive movements, and therapeutic psychiatric drugs to reduce mania and aggression. However, medications do not help them to speak. A relatively well-accepted approach is repetitive language education, play games and specialized exercises to develop the child’s language and social skills.