Information On Autism...Diagnosing Autism

How Autism is Diagnosed

The signs and levels of autism vary in each child. This can make a diagnosis difficult. Children on the higher level of the autism spectrum may go years without being diagnosed. However there are may factors that go into an autism diagnosis. We will go over some of the criteria currently being used to diagnose a child with autism.

Doctors have a checklist that must be met if they are to consider a diagnosis of autism. Some of the signs on the checklist include, poor relationships with friends, focusing on one thing for very long periods of time, poor communications skills, and insisting on certain routines, or rituals. When these signs are shown by a child persistently, the doctor will want to further evaluate the child. The doctor will question the child's parents, or any other people that have close contact with the child. They may send home a form for you and the child's teacher to fill out. Once the doctor has the forms back they will compare the forms and look for similar results. If the results all are pointing to something being wrong further testing will be considered.

Children also develop at their own rate. So a parent having concerns about their child not reaching developmental milestones on time, may raise this a possible fear. Normally doctors will be very careful and ask the parent a whole series of questions. If the answers match the criteria for autism the doctor will likely order further evaluations to be completed. However again it must be remembered that each child grows and matures at their own rate so they may just be a late bloomer.

There is not one test that can say definitely the child has autism. It will require several appointments with different health professionals to rule out other conditions that could be causing the problems in your child. For instance a child who is late in talking is suspected of having a hearing issue first. After this is checked then the doctor can move on to consider autism. However several health conditions can mimic the symptoms of autism so it is a process of elimination. Children always need to be evaluated for any other medical conditions that could cause the same symptoms as autism first.

To ultimately be diagnosed with autism, the child will be evaluated by a team of medical professionals. They will include the doctor, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a neurologist, and a psychiatrist. Once the child is evaluated by the team they will meet and compare findings. Then they will have a meeting with the parents to discuss the results. If the diagnosis of autism is made a treatment plan will be set in place.

Note: I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one so you should consult with a doctor before taking action on any treatment. Your doctor is a vital team member and needs to know what you are trying.

Every instance of autism tends to be unique. Children will often show different levels of symptoms of autism, and the overall effect will be different. So it may take longer to get a diagnosis of autism in some children. Once you have the diagnosis, the most important thing is to start a treatment plan. The treatment plan will help improve the life of your autistic child because while there is no cure, the treatments available can help to lesson the symptoms.

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