Can Autism Be Cured?

For decades, doctors have known that a small number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder appear to outgrow it. A new study has found that some children believed to have mild autism “outgrow” the diagnosis, but most continue to struggle with language and behaviour. This study is not the first of its kind to document cases of “recovery” from autism.

But what does this mean for these children?

Lead researcher Dr. Lisa Shulman reached findings indicating that the vast majority still face challenges and need support. Her team also found that among 38 children who “outgrew” the autism diagnosis, most suffer from other conditions—such as learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders.

Why did the diagnosis of these children change?

One possibility is that the initial diagnosis was incorrect and they did not have autism in the first place. However, it is also possible that they responded to early treatment aimed at supporting their development. Shulman believes that both possibilities are valid. Shulman explained that 569 children in the study were diagnosed before the age of three. What looks like autism in a two-year-old child may begin to appear differently as the child grows. For example, a two-year-old child may suffer from an anxiety disorder, but children at this age cannot express what they feel, and it only becomes clearer as the child grows older.

On the other hand, early behavioural therapy can help children with autism build their social and language skills and alleviate behavioural problems. Therefore, young children who respond may no longer meet the criteria for autism at a certain stage. Shulman believes that there is a group of children who may have never had autism at all, and there are those who respond to early intervention.

James Connell is the clinical core director of the Drexel Autism Institute in Philadelphia. He also agreed that in young children, it can be “difficult to determine” whether their diagnosis is autism or something else. According to Connell, who did not participate in this study, developmental delays, language delays, and separation anxiety in children aged 18 to 24 months can look like autism. He also believes that most, if not all, of these children did not have autism spectrum disorder.

The Role of Early Services and Intensive Therapy

However, this does not mean that children misdiagnosed with autism did not benefit from therapy. Connell says that early, intensive services can be very beneficial for children with autism, as well as for children experiencing developmental delays.

In fact, young children with developmental difficulties may be specifically diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder so that they qualify for such intensive therapy. An autism diagnosis qualifies the child to receive services—the services that these children need—so the child is diagnosed with autism but does not have it, and “doctors know it, parents know it.”

The latest findings, recently published in the Journal of Child Neurology, were based on records of 569 children diagnosed with autism at a research centre between 2003 and 2013. Four years later, 38 of these children no longer met the diagnostic criteria.

According to Shulman, they all had one thing in common. They had what initially appeared to be milder symptoms; they were not on the most severe end of the spectrum.

Nearly all of them saw developments in their diagnoses. 68% of them still suffered from language or learning difficulties.

 Half of them were diagnosed with “externalising” behavioural disorders—such as ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder—while a quarter suffered from “internalising” mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Two children suffered from more severe mental illnesses involving psychosis. The researchers added that there were three children who did not “warrant” any alternative diagnosis.

Connell said that these children may not have had autism at all. He said: “Most researchers agree that children are not cured of autism—it just becomes less noticeable.”

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.