A new effort is being launched to better educate parents about the earliest signs of autism (孤独症). Doctors at Maryland’s Kennedy Krieger Institute, one of the country’s leading autism centers, say they can now identify symptoms in children at a younger age than before.
Children with autism withdraw into their own private worlds. Most children are not diagnosed until they are 3 to 5 years old, but the signs can appear as early as 6 months. “Most people use the rule of thumb that if a child is showing developmental delays before the age of 3, they’ll catch up, but children with autism usually can’t,” said researcher Rebecca Landa.
Researchers at the institute are showing in a video just what symptoms to look for, even in an infant. In about 30 percent of autism cases, researchers are now documenting what they call “regressive（倒退的）autism”. One boy documented by the Kennedy Krieger Institute was engaged and smiling at his mother at 6 months. When he reached one year, he appeared a little shy, but again, there was no reason for concern. But at the age of 2, he was totally attached to his toys and the signs in him have become more obvious. “Although causes of autism remain unknown, now you can really see autism in its full form,” Landa said.
Chloe was diagnosed with autism at 2, when she could not interact with the children around her, and she hated to be touched. But after four months of intensive treatment, her behavior improved significantly.
“She is talking now,” Landa said. “She looks to the teacher and shares enjoyment. She looks to others to know what she should be doing.” Chloe will still require many more years of treatment, but these early gains do last.
4. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of a child suffering from autism?
A. Not speaking to people around him.
B. Not making eye contact with others.
C. Acting aggressively to people around them.
D. Fixing all his attention on the objects.
5. What do the underlined words “these early gains” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. Many years of treatment.
B. Researches carried out by Landa.
C. The early recognition of signs of autism.
D. The cases Landa provided.
6. From the passage, we can learn that __________.
A. early signs of autism are often unnoticed or ignored
B. more and more children are suffering from autism
C. autism can be completely cured if early symptoms are noticed
D. children usually develop autism at the age of three
7. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Early Symptoms of Autism in Children.
B. Parents Should Look for Early Signs of Autism.
C. New Effective Way to Treat Autism.
D. Researchers Identify New Symptoms of Autism.