New Channel 5 documentary highlights Birkbeck's ground-breaking autism research
The new documentary showcases research from Birkbeck's Baby and Toddlerlabs, which monitors infants with a family history of autism to detect early brain and behaviour changes.
Research from Birkbeck's Baby and Toddlerlabs has featured in Channel 5’s new documentary on autism: Are You Autistic? which aired on April 8.
Birkbeck’s Studying Autism and ADHD in earRly yearS (STAARS) project follows infants with a family history of autism from birth to childhood, identifying early changes in brain and behaviour that might emerge before an NHS autism diagnosis.
Autism, a neurodevelopmental condition experienced by 1% of people worldwide, can lead to different social interactions and strong reactions to sensory inputs like loud noises, flashing lights, or unexpected touch.
While parents often notice traits of autism in toddlerhood, many children are not diagnosed until they enter school or even later. This delay means families can struggle to access appropriate support and services. Identifying early predictors of autism from infancy can help provide earlier support, improving lifelong wellbeing.
Professor Emily Jones, who leads the study, notes that the documentary highlights important new results from the STAARS study. "One really important observation from our work is that sensory differences might emerge before differences in social communication. This could help identify children in need of services and tells us that children with a family history of autism may need protected and predictable sensory environments to help them feel secure in early development."
STAARS is still recruiting families. Interested parents can find out more here: https://www.staars.org/