This therapy can help prevent an autism diagnosis

In the iBASIS-VIPP intervention, a therapist films how parents interact with their child who is showing early signs of autism, then reviews the video with the parents to point out the child’s emerging skills and how the parents are helping to promote those skills. — TNS filepic

A parent-led intervention that supports the social development of babies displaying early signs of autism has significantly reduced the likelihood of an autism diagnosis being made in early childhood.

In a study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the international research team led by Professor Dr Andrew Whitehouse from the University of Western Australia (UWA) found that a clinician diagnosis of autism at age three was only a third as likely in children who received the pre-emptive intervention (iBASIS-VIPP) compared to those who received treatment as usual.