Many have been relieved to see that Autism is getting some attention in the new Presidential Administration this year. What many hope to see implemented soon universal screenings for infants and rescreening children at 2 years of age.

Many have been relieved to see that Autism is getting some attention in the new Presidential Administration this year. What many hope to see implemented soon universal screenings for infants and rescreening children at 2 years of age.

In an effort to note anatomical changes and behavioral changes, researchers at Washington University in Saint Louis have joined other scientists to perform brain imaging, knows as a functional MRI, or fMRI. The depth of these brain images will yield important clues that will hopefully assist them in narrowing down when symptoms start, and what may trigger them.

In a study involving 1,500 infants born at least 3 months premature, spread out over 14 hospitals, in 5 states, and a screening method called M-CHAT, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine notes a sharp increase in diagnosis of autism.