TORONTO -- Infants who make little eye contact, have trouble smiling, and aren't very active may be showing signs of autism, Canadian researchers report in a small study that suggests autism can be detected earlier than it is.
If autistic behavior can be spotted as early as 12 months, as the research indicates, it would enable doctors and parents to start effective therapy sooner.
Parents typically have to wait until a child is 2 to 3 years old to find out if the toddler has the complex developmental disorder, best known for impairing a child's ability to communicate or interact with others.
