A groundbreaking autism study out of Western Australia has shown the benefits of early intervention therapy.
In fact, with therapy, they've found children and infants are two thirds less likely to meet the clinical criteria for an autism diagnosis.
Within just a month of Lincoln's life, his mother knew he was developing differently.
"Lincoln would happily look everywhere but my face," Lincoln's mother says.
But he was too young to be diagnosed.
"We'll wait and see, we were told that a lot, whereas I guess a mother's gut instinct was, 'ok I know there's something not quite the same,'" Lincoln's mother tells Newshub
Lincoln was one of many babies aged between nine and 14 months, suspected of being on the autism spectrum, to take part in a world first trial.
Using video footage, researchers at the Telethon Kids Institute were able to identify exactly how each child uniquely communicates, reducing frustration-related behaviours at not being understood.
"To identify those strengths, use them as the building blocks for future development," Professor Andrew Whitehouse from Telethon Kids Institute tells Newshub.
The children involved weren't developing the same sensory issues, repetitive behaviours and communication barriers.
In fact, the ground breaking research found that by the time participants turned three, the rate of clinical diagnosis was cut by almost two thirds.
Those findings are welcomed here in New Zealand.
"It's all about focusing on what the child's interests are and how the child is currently communicating, then educating and training the family, whanau, the teacher or whatever the environment is around that person," Dane Dougan from Autism NZ tells Newshub.
"This is to focus and change the way they actually communicate what we do now but to see some evidence behind it will hopefully strengthen the case that we should do it more and more in New Zealand."
Whitehouse added; "What we hope to see is greater educational outcomes and of course later into life greater life outcomes as well."
Lincoln is now thriving and is living evidence of just that.
Watch full story above.
