I have spent 8 years assessing children of all ages for autism. I am a psychologist not a medical doctor.

My view: teach ALL first time parents how to socialize infants, how to get early and regular eye contact, how to create “joint attention” (focus on breast or bottle or toy) how to teach eye gaze that follows a point, how to teach imitating.Etc.

Teach the skills that when not present get labeled under “autistic spectrum disorders” This is better done by psychologists — not by medical MD type people.

If we teach for ALL children we will also pick up those who are late in developing skills that eventually get labeled “autistic”.

This does not take 30 million and a chair at Harvard. It does take collaboration by professionals trained in speech, occupational therapy, sensory issues, psychology and medicine.

Too bad to spend so much on so little.
Dr. Jackson