Medical Reports: Autism

WSVN -- Nicholas Voss is a bundle of energy, but, early on, his mother saw something different about his behavior.

Stefanie Voss: "I would ask his teachers, I would ask day care workers, I would ask friends, 'Is something wrong? Is that normal?'"

Doctors soon diagnosed Nicholas with autism, a puzzling disorder that affects one in 150 kids, but Nicholas' mom says she wishes she had known what to look for.

Dr. Amy Wetherby: "This is an early red flag of autism spectrum because he has such a keen, intense interest in making the bowl wobble.

This clip is one of more than 100 in a video glossary at autismspeaks.org, a website designed to help parents see the difference between typical behavior and behaviors that may be a red flag for autism, like performing repetitive movements, like rocking or flapping hands, not seeking cuddling or attention, showing more interest in objects than people and a lack of interest in playing pretend or make-believe.

Amy Wetherby: "What we hope it will do is help them know whether those are behaviors that they need to be worried about."

Thanks to early intervention, Nicholas has come a long way.

Stefanie Voss: "He's talking, and he's smart, and he's lovable, and he's affectionate, and he's all the things I once read he would never be."

Christine Cruz: "The on-line video glossary is free and funded by Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact:
Amy M. Wetherby, Ph.D.
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
(850) 644-4367
http://firstwords.fsu.edu/
http://autismspeaks.org