Can You Outgrow Or Recover From Autism?

Recently there has been a lot of discussion and debate around the notion that some children with autism may grow out of their symptoms and fully recover.  An article in The Wall Street Journal titled “Who Can Outgrow or Recover From Autism” discusses this topic in detail.  The article talks about a recent study that had identified 34 people who had been diagnosed with autism by the age of 5 but years later were indistinguishable from peers on language, socialisation and communication skills. 

This study was led by a team from the University of Connecticut and was undertaken as a result of comments and observations by clinicians and parents who had described how the symptoms of their patients and loved ones seemed to disappear completely.  As no study had been undertaken to examine this issue, it was decided they formally investigate and assess how children with autism fare over time and whether they could achieve an “optimal outcome”. 
 
Based on previous studies it estimated that 10% to 20% of children who were diagnosed with autism may achieve an optimal outcome.

For more information follow the link above to the article in The Wall Street Journal or follow this link to the actual report that was in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and titled “Optimal outcomes in individuals with a history of autism”.