Birthday videos document autistic regression, study says

• A new study analyzed home videos of first- and second-year birthday parties and showed that some autistic children began displaying symptoms of the disorder by their first birthday, such as less frequent use of words or babbling.
• Meanwhile, other autistic children who behaved normally at age 1 appeared to regress and showed typical symptoms of autism by age 2.
• Researchers say it's the first objective evidence of autistic regression, a form of autism that accounts for about 25 percent of all autism cases in the U.S.
• "Once again, this study provides an important lesson that parents are good reporters on what is happening with their children," says researcher Geraldine Dawson, PhD, director of the University of Washington's Autism Center, in a news release.
• The study did not look at the cause of the autistic regression, nor any possible links to childhood vaccines.
• The timing of childhood vaccinations and the emergence of autism symptoms in early childhood has prompted some to suggest that the two may be related, but scientific research has largely rejected this theory.
• In the study, researchers analyzed first and second birthday party home videos provided by the parents of 36 young children with autism and 20 normally developing children.
• Of the autistic children, 15 were diagnosed with autism after the parents reported a worsening of social and/or communication skills during the second year of life.
• Researchers noted the frequency and duration of several behaviors seen in the videotapes, such as language, looking at other people, repetitive behavior, emotion, and playing with toys.
• They were unaware of the diagnosis that the children had.
• Children whose parents reported autistic regression used more complex babble and words at their first birthday than normal children, while children with early-onset autism used the fewest words and least amount of babble.