A simple, 30-second exercise administered when an infant is six
months old could help tell whether he or she is predisposed to
autism, according to an expert. A "pull-to-sit" task—performed
by allowing an infant to lie flat on his or her back and then
pulling their arms into a sitting position—can help parents
gauge autism risk, especially if a sibling has the disorder,
according to researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute, which
studies children with mental disorders. Nearly all 3-year-olds
who were diagnosed with autism experienced "head lag" when they
were six months old—meaning their neck had trouble supporting
their head during the pull-to-sit exercise. "That head lag is an
indicator of a disruption in neurodevelopment," says Rebecca
Landa, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders
at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. "We have outcome data that
says 90 percent of babies who went on to have autism had this
head lag—some babies who had social and communication delays
also had it." The test is no