Head-tilt test could reveal whether baby has Asperger's Simple procedure for spotting form of autism

The findings in the US-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says doing the tilting test in babies when they are six months old could determine more cases earlier.

Asperger's affects the way a person communicates and relates to others. First recognised in the early 1990s, Asperger's is a little-known form of autism and most people have little knowledge of it. Potentially thousands of people are believed to have Asperger's but are unaware of it. For many the disorder goes undetected because it is at the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. Sufferers have a normal IQ and language skills.

Peter Howson, one of Scotland's most successful artists, was only diagnosed in 2003 with the condition. Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Glasgow architect, also had

Asperger's.

It has also been claimed the artistic genius of Michelangelo, the sixteenth-century sculptor and painter, could have been a mark of Asperger's.

People with the syndrome usually have fewer problems with language than those with autism. This means the condition has often gone undiagnosed for some time.

Autism is usually diagnosed by the time a child is three years old, whereas Asperger's may not be diagnosed until the child is six or seven.

Previously, Dr Osnat Teitelbaum and colleagues at Florida University found infants who were later diagnosed with autism had shown a host of abnormal movement patterns at an early age.

Their research involved looking at whether the same might be true in children with Asperger's syndrome. The research team studied videos of 16 babies and toddlers who had later been diagnosed as having Asperger's.

The infants displayed movement abnormalities comparable to those previously seen in autistic children.

The infants with Asperger's showed some reflex movements that should not have been prevalent by their age of development and others that failed to appear. These included abnormal facial expressions, falling to one side while walking and failing to keep their head in line with the body when tilted.

Researchers believe that, although not all of the abnormal movements were present in each of the infants, the tilting test would be a good way to screen for Asperger's syndrome and autism.

They said: ''The tilting test should be routinely performed on all infants beginning at six months, particularly if there is a history of autism or Asperger's syndrome in the family.

''This simple, non-invasive test takes 20 to 30 seconds and can be performed by the infant's paediatrician or

parents.''

The researchers added that an abnormal test would mean the child would need more testing for the possibility of Asperger's syndrome or other autistic spectrum disorders.

The National Autistic Society welcomed the research.

A spokeswoman said: ''The earlier a diagnosis is made, the better the chances are of a person receiving appropriate help and support. There is evidence to suggest that intensive, early intervention can result in a positive outcome for some

children.''

Bill Welsh, chairman of Action Against Autism, also welcomed the research.

However, he added: ''The real rise in autism worldwide is being identified in children aged two to three following the early childhood vaccination programme, including the controversial MMR in the United Kingdom. It is important that clinical, medical examination of autistic children takes place in order to establish all the underlying cases of this heartbreaking condition.''

THE SYNDROME

Asperger's syndrome, which is at the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum of disorders, was first described by Hans Asperger, a German doctor, in 1944.

Sufferers exhibit many odd, idiosyncratic behaviours.

IQs are often above average in verbal ability and below average in performance.

Sufferers tend to be clumsy and awkward. Many have dyslexia, writing problems,

and difficulty with

mathematics.

Asperger's syndrome is probably hereditary.