Kids with autism who spend a lot of time with their grandmothers may get diagnosed with the disorder at a younger age, a small study suggests.
“This finding is incredibly important, as these individuals have the potential to lower the age of diagnosis,” senior study author Joseph Buxbaum of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York said by email. “Early diagnosis means early intervention, which is critical for improving treatment outcomes.”
When parents said another adult close to the child first identified the possibility of autism, that person was a grandmother 27 percent of the time.
