Child Safety Blog

Infants who have a sibling with autism are at higher risk of becoming autistic themselves. At the University of Washington, researchers are testing whether or not a special intervention can be done to reduce the chances of autism in these high-risk babies.

Half of the mothers in the study will be taught to notice subtle cues from the babies and how to seize on these cues as opportunities to engage and communicate with them. These cues, it is hypothesized, indicate when the baby is "reaching out" to its parents.

If the study confirms the hypothesis, it means we will have a non-biochemical way of reducing the risk of autism.