Early detection and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is extremely effective at reducing or even eliminating the symptoms of the condition.

ASD is under the general heading of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). This condition is characterized by abnormalities in reciprocal social interactions, communication and learning.

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These were among the findings in new study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders The study, "Autism treatment in the first year of life: A pilot study of Infant Start, a parent-implemented intervention for symptomatic infants" was released September 9.

Scientists studies seven children, ages 6 to 15 months old that had early signs of ASD. Their symptoms included being uninterested in communication and lack of eye contact.

The study's intervention program called Infant Start involved the children's parents in the fight against autism.

Families were made to integrate the program, which had autism prevention as its goal, into their daily lives for six months.

When the six months were over, all but one of the children displayed a significant decrease in autism symptoms.

Six of the seven children caught up with their peers when it came to learning and language skills.

Researchers give credit to the people most important in the prevention of autism symptoms in the children: parents.

"Parents are there every day with their babies. It's the little moments of diapering, feeding, playing on the floor, going for a walk, being on a swing, that are the critical learning moments for babies. Those moments are what parents can capitalize on in a way that nobody else really can," said Sally Rogers, one of the co-authors of the study.

Although the outcome is exciting, more research needed, especially considering only seven children were involved.

"We don't know to what extent this particular treatment caused this particular outcome," Rogers admitted.

She also said that some who qualified for the study but did not make the clinical trial had more impairments than those chosen.