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Programs
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Autism
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Center
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Early Connections Study
Core Function: Research and Evaluation
The University of Washington’s Early Connections Study will enroll 200 Puget Sound infants, 6 months old or younger, who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism. They will be part of the first study designed to address the needs of children who are at high risk for the disorder and their families by providing assessment, monitoring, and intervention before symptoms develop. While the latest research shows that autism affects as many as one in every 150 newborns in the United States, about one in 20 infants who have an older sibling with autism will develop the disorder. While the majority of infant siblings do not develop autism, development is more varied in this group. Our primary goal is to try to identify these very early risk markers for autism and other social and communicative delays. In addition, the study should further our understanding of both risk and protective factors associated with the disorder. Using early identification of risk factors, early interventions can be implemented while the infant’s brain is still plastic, leading to better outcomes for children who are at risk.
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