Topic: Early Intervention

A doctor advocates for catching mental illness before age 14, while a competing theory suggests that historical spikes in violent crime were actually caused by lead poisoning from gasoline. The "lead-crime hypothesis" posits that brain damage from tetraethyl lead in the environment until the 1970s led to a generation of violent individuals, and the subsequent drop in crime is due to the removal of lead rather than policing.

ABC News featured a report on a "head lag" test that supposedly identifies autism in infants as young as six months. The test involves pulling a baby up by the arms to see if the head follows; failure to do so is labeled a "red flag." Critics argue this is a push for "early intervention" and therapy for children who may simply be developing at a different pace.