Diagnosing Autism
What is the Best, Most Effective Way to Diagnose Autism?
Unfortunately, diagnosing autism is not as easy as taking a medical test and reading the results. There is currently no way to diagnose autism in infants or toddlers with a medical test. The only way to diagnose autism now is solely based on observed behavior, educational and psychological testing. The systems for autism vary so greatly with each child, and the level of autism also differs wildly – so early and accurate diagnosis of autism is not easy to achieve.
Just as the symptoms, the level of severity and each child’s particular circumstances vary, so do the ways you can obtain a reliable autism diagnosis.
Most frequently parents raise questions or concerns with their child’s doctor or pediatrician. Perhaps parents have noticed their child behaving in a way that is “not quite right” or “normal”. Most often, the symptoms of autism are manifested in three key areas that parent’s may notice:
- Trouble with social interactions and relationships
- Difficulty with both verbal and nonverbal communication skills
- Limited interest in activities or common play
The sad fact is, many times parent’s concerns are not taken seriously by their doctors. The range of what is “normal” is so wide, that often diagnosis of autism is unfortunately delayed. As a parent, if you think something isn’t right with your child, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and seek out help as soon as possible. BE TENACIOUS with your doctor in underscoring your concerns and getting their assistance. Early diagnosis of autism is so important, so that your child can start to get the intensive treatment that (s)he needs.
An important way to ensure that your child doesn’t get a late diagnosis of autism is to ensure that from birth to at least three years of age they are screened for developmental milestones during routine well visits. If you as a parent raise concerns with your doctor, they should also refer your child to a specialist for a developmental evaluation. Hearing and lead exposure screening should also be performed. There are also autism-specific diagnosing or screening tools such as the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT), which should be used if ever there is a doubt or question that your child has autism. MCHAT is just a list of simple questions about your child, but the answers determine whether they should be referred to a specialist or not.
Another key way to diagnose autism is through an autism assessment evaluation. An autism assessment evaluation is really just a way for the caregivers to better understand a child (or adult’s) unique strengths and areas of difficulty. Autism assessments can take on many forms; interactive activities, paper and pencil tests, visual puzzles, Q&A activities, checklist surveys and child/parent interviews. There are autism assessments for small children, toddlers, adolescents and adults.
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The Koegel Autism Research & Treatment Center in Santa Barbara California, operated by Drs. Lynn and Robert Koegel, will be launching an Autism Assessment Clinic in the Fall of 2011. The clinic will offer comprehensive diagnostic, developmental and psychological assessment services for individuals of all ages. The range of areas that can be diagnosed or evaluated by the Koegel autism assessment clinic include:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnoses
- Other Psychological Concerns/Diagnoses
- Cognitive Functioning (Intelligence Testing)
- Academic Difficulties
- Memory/Attention
- Executive Functioning/Problem Solving
- Developmental Delays
- Gross/Fine Motor Skills (Toddlers)
- Language/Speech Delays
- Socialization Skills
- Adaptive Skills
- Personality Assessment
- Problem Behaviors
- Pre-academic Skills
Getting your child an early, accurate and comprehensive autism diagnosis will be instrumental in getting them the help they need.
Combining the Koegel assessment center’s results with whatever other information is available allows the center to thoroughly understand who a person is and provide detailed recommendations for home, school, and community settings. This autism diagnosis process also allows the Koegel center to make accurate clinical diagnoses, which is the start to receiving helpful services and support from schools and community agencies.
