Autism: the road from suspicion to diagnosis

As parents, you should observe your child and note if once-normal learned behavior has begun to regress. If so, you should bring it to the attention of your child's doctor as soon as possible. There are also 2 main areas that you should pay attention to if you suspect that your child may have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD):

  • social problems, such as not responding to you, not making eye contact with you, and always wanting to be alone
  • behavioural problems, such as repetitively rocking their body or flapping their arms, highly restrictive routines, restricted and intense fixation on interests, and abnormal reactions to sensory input such as specific sounds and textures.

Because autism is a complex condition that exhibits a wide variety of symptoms and degrees of severity, making a diagnosis can be difficult. If your doctor agrees with your concern about autism, he or she will refer you and your child to specialists, who will start arranging a series of autism screening and comprehensive tests to make a diagnosis. These tests will depend on your child's age, and children as early as 18 months can show early signs of autism and get tested.

Your doctor may also want to assess other mental health or genetic disorders that have symptoms similar to those of ASD. These include Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS), Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, and fragile X syndrome.

If your child is diagnosed with autism, try to stay calm, plan out next steps, and acknowledge that this is a positive step towards helping your child. Instead of channelling your energy into fear and anxiety, try to channel your energy positively to get your child on the road to treatment.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Understanding-Autism