Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ~Author Unknown
Today I would like to give you more information about autism by focusing on how a person is diagnosed with this disorder. All of the research that I have done says that 
the earlier a diagnosis is made, the better the prognosis. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the early warning signs so that your little one has a better chance of growing up normally. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that infants be routinely examined for developmental disorders like autism and be tested no later than 9 months or earlier. As a diagnostic tool, your doctor should administer a developmental screening test and ask specific questions about your baby's development. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially where your youngster is concerned.
the earlier a diagnosis is made, the better the prognosis. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the early warning signs so that your little one has a better chance of growing up normally. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that infants be routinely examined for developmental disorders like autism and be tested no later than 9 months or earlier. As a diagnostic tool, your doctor should administer a developmental screening test and ask specific questions about your baby's development. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially where your youngster is concerned.Let's take a look at the normal stages a baby goes through.
- Shortly after birth, a healthy newborn will gaze into your eyes.
- By 5-6 months, your offspring will smile and respond to you by gurgling, cooing and looking into your eyes.
- Babies usually respond to their name by a few months of age.
- After the first year, your baby will be attracted to an object or event that you are looking at. This is known as joint attention. In addition to this, they will shift their gaze from people to toys, or look towards something that you are pointing at. They will also point to things by themselves and show their toys to you.
- A typical baby of 8-10 months, will mimic you by copying face movements such as sticking out their tongue, or by imitating sounds that you make,etc.
- Babies show emotional responses to others, they may cry if they hear another child crying.
- By age two, little ones pretend to do the same things that you are doing. For instance, they may pretend to change a doll's diapers, or fix their hair,etc.
- There is an absence of eye contact with you.
- Your infant is two months old and doesn't respond to their name when you say it.
- Your baby constantly focuses on an inanimate object in the room, like a ceiling fan.
- You make a loud sound, and your infant doesn't respond by the time he/she is two months old.
- You play with your baby and he/she doesn't respond nor is there a response to their name between 2-4 months.
- Your tyke doesn't react to you with smiles and sounds by 8-9 months.
- Your child doesn't point to objects, gesture or take your hand to locate a toy by 12-16 months.
- Your little one does not say single words by 16 months or two word phrases by 24 months.
- You have noticed a loss of language or social skills at any age.
Since symptoms of autism vary so much from individual to individual, a baby or child exhibiting some of the behaviors that I have mentioned should be evaluated further by
a multidisciplinary team consisting of a neurologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language pathologist, a mental health practitioner such as a psychiatrist, or psychologist, a learning consultant or anyone else who is well versed in this condition. Before making a diagnosis of autism, they need to rule out other medical disorders such as deafness, Retts Syndrome, or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) as well as a few others. By using this type of approach you are more apt to get an accurate and thorough diagnosis, as well as a plan for treatment.
Now for some of the screening techniques that are used.
a multidisciplinary team consisting of a neurologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language pathologist, a mental health practitioner such as a psychiatrist, or psychologist, a learning consultant or anyone else who is well versed in this condition. Before making a diagnosis of autism, they need to rule out other medical disorders such as deafness, Retts Syndrome, or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) as well as a few others. By using this type of approach you are more apt to get an accurate and thorough diagnosis, as well as a plan for treatment.Now for some of the screening techniques that are used.
- CARS rating scale (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), that was developed by Eric Schipler in the 1970s. In essence it is a 15 point scale that is used by your doctor or mental health therapist to look at your baby's "relationship to people, body use, reaction to change, listening response, and verbal communication." This assessment not only identifies autism in children but it separates them from developmentally handicapped children who do not have this disorder.An effective way to describe behaviors in question would be to make a video of your child.
- Another screening technique is the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). This is employed to screen for autism at 18 months of age. Developed in the early 1990s by Simon Baron-Cohen, this assessment consists of a short two part questionnaire; one section for parents and the other for the doctor to fill out.
- An Autism Screening Questionnaire may also be used which is a forty item scale that has been successfully used with children four years old or older. It evaluates communication skills and social functioning.
- Last, I would like to mention a screening test that is in development by Wendy Stone at Vanderbilt College for two year olds. It employs one to one observations of behavioral characteristics seen in children. Three skill areas have been identified as key factors in autism, they are play, motor imitation and joint attention or looking at the same object as their mom or dad.
Opponents of testing for autism at this early age believe that it may cause undue labeling of a child who exhibits normal variations in developmental behavior. However, there are two sides to every coin and as the old adage goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound in cure". More importantly, you have to do what you believe is best for you and your baby.
A diagnosis of autism can be a very difficult time for you, especially at the beginning. There are a myriad of emotions such as confusion, anger and despair that may plague you at this time. Know that this is normal and it will pass. Hopefully time will heal your pain as you learn to live with your child and help him/her to become the best person that they can be. If however, you cannot get over the hurt and hopelessness, there are mental health counselors and therapists who can help you to deal with the situation.
Stay tuned for my next blog which will tell you about treatment options for autism.
Information that may be of interest.
Hair analysis study to diagnose autism.Autism, Hair Analysis and Mercury
