At present, the diagnosis of autism is based on a range of behaviors and speech impediment including how much a child talks by a certain age, whether they make eye contact and the degree of repetition in vocabulary.
"Autism is a multi-factorial disorder and it has many behavioral dimensions to consider. And vocalization is clearly an important one," said Oller. "But I certainly don't think it should be used exclusively."
Dr Oller has noticed that the speech development process in autistic children does not follow the typical pattern and there are subtle deviations in both pronunciation and vocalization.
While all this may sound fantastic news, it is important to know that Dr Oller and most of his colleagues received consultation fees from the company that makes the device. Moreover, in fact some of the researchers even work for the company (LENA FOUNDATION). Secondly making the diagnosis of autism earlier in life makes no difference in treatment. To date there is nothing specific available for children under the age of 2-5.
From past history, researchers who have worked with medical industries and received funding always make everything look glossy. So before you rush out to buy this expensive device, remember the adage, “Buyer Beware.” Medicine is ultimately a business.
The results of the study have just been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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