Do some kids just grow out of autism? I've heard parents talking about this happening -- either on its own or after years of diet change and therapy. But a new study confirms what some parents have been saying: Some children may lose their autism diagnosis when they get older.
The National Institutes of Health tracked a small group of school-aged kids from when they were first diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and followed them as they grew older. Some of those young people, as they grew older, seemed to the researchers to be "on par with typically developing peers." It definitely doesn't happen to all children diagnosed with ASD, but it does help doctors understand autism a little bit better.
Here's what NIMH director Thomas Insel says about what doctors learned.
Although the diagnosis of autism is not usually lost over time, the findings suggest that there is a very wide range of possible outcomes. For an individual child, the outcome may be knowable only with time and after some years of intervention. Subsequent reports from this study should tell us more about the nature of autism and the role of therapy and other factors in the long term outcome for these children.
In other words, it happens, but we don't know why or how. I don't know how helpful this is for parents with kids on the spectrum. On one hand, I think it's always helpful when research confirms what we experience. But it's not like doctors can now predict what percentage of kids "grow out of" autism or anything even close to that. Will the study give some parents false hope? Maybe -- maybe not. I mean, that hope is always kind of there anyway. So there's probably not a major takeaway from this study that will help parents and kids RIGHT NOW.
But it's exciting to know that we're starting to understand autism a little better -- and to know that it's not a static condition. The symptoms can change over time. That can make life unpredictable in both good and bad ways. At least now people can manage their expectations for life with autism.
Have you known kids on the spectrum whose symptoms change or even disappear over time?
Image via Horia Varlan/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Kanye West is Gay?! 
Comments 9
I would like to see a larger scale study done on this, but really, this does show the need for early intervention services to be available to all children. Regardless of ones potential to lose his or her diagnosis, every child can learn, grow, and improve. I think that needs to be the focus of those caring for kids on the spectrum. My husband and I want our children to reach their full potentials, wherever they may land on (or off) the spectrum.
I don't know that they are outgrowing autism or that they are just learning to cope with the outside world and hide thier differences. Our hope for my 6 year old is that as an adult he will be able to get a good career and blend in with people. My husband has Aspergers, undiagnosed, and is fine with people just seems a bit quirky. He has problems behind closed doors. He hates going to the store because of the large amount of people and wants to get in and out. His stress level rises when he knows he has to go deal with people. But in public you would think he was a normal person just a big on the weird quirky side. But his weird quirks are apart of him, and I love him because of them and he wouldn't be the person he is without them.
We know the worst case for our son is a half-way house. But we are hoping and working towards him being an independant man able to take care of himself. He's been in therapy for 2 years and has come along way. If he was to be diagnosed right now, he would probably be aspergers instead of PDD-NOS