In a study that could lead to breakthroughs in autism diagnosis and intervention, researchers identified preliminary indications of autism in the brains of infants at six months of age, earlier than any other research.

Among a group of infants with a higher risk of developing autism, researchers found differences in brain development among those who were later diagnosed with autism, compared with others who did not, in a study led by University of Washington radiology professor Dr. Stephen Dager.

The research eventually could help parents of children with a higher risk of developing autism, such as those with siblings already on the autism spectrum, by giving them a clearer sense of when to be concerned and when to relax, according to Dr. Annette Estes, PhD, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of speech and hearing sciences at the University of Washington. Autism has emerged as one of the highest-profile disorders of this century, leaving new parents, especially those with an older child on the spectrum, anxious.

“Then we will be able to help parents know when to start getting geared up to get into action and to get early intervention,” Estes said in an interview. “By understanding the very earliest manifestations of autism we have a better chance to intervene and improve outcomes of the kids who are at the highest risk for autism.”

Today, more children than ever are diagnosed with autism – 1 in 110 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control – and improving diagnosis and intervention should only help children with the disorder, their parents and early learning teachers.

The study also suggests … that autism does not appear suddenly in young children, but instead develops over time during infancy. This raises the possibility “that we may be able to interrupt that process with targeted intervention,” according to Jason Wolff, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities in a research summary.

The research also “gets us a lot closer to understanding the causes,” of the disorder, according to Estes. It is “showing us what we have already suspected, that autism is a disorder that starts in the brain.”