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The sooner a child receives a diagnosis of autism, the
sooner treatment can begin. Experts agree that early treatment can make a big
difference in terms of the progress a child will make and long-term quality of
life of the child.
Parents play the most important role in detecting the signs
of autism early. As soon as you think something may be going on with your child,
talk to your pediatrician. It’s likely that only you, the parent, can pick up
on the warning signs that something just isn’t right. Here are some things to
look for:
- By
age 1, your child does not babble, point or make other common gestures
- By
age 16 months, your child does not speak one word
- By
age 2, your child does not combine any words
- Your
child does not respond to his or her name
- Your
child seems to be losing language skills
Other indicators include:
- Not
making eye contact
- Not
playing with toys, or playing with them differently than other children do
- Lining
up toys or other objects
- Not
smiling
- Being
attached to a specific object or toy (washing machines, for example, can
become objects of fascination for some autistic children)
- Seeming
to be hard of hearing at times
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about
one third of children who are diagnosed with autism seemed to have been
developing normally as babies and then began to regress, losing their language
skills and experiencing profound behavior changes. This is what has led some
people to believe that vaccinations cause the disorder, because the changes
often coincide with the child’s immunizations. Most researchers, however,
believe that this convergence is purely coincidental.
Getting the
diagnosis
Initially, your pediatrician should perform a thorough
evaluation of your child to rule out any other health conditions that could be
producing the symptoms. Your pediatrician may also use one or more screening
instruments to help determine whether it’s likely that your child has autism.
If there is nothing that rules autism out, the next step is to have your child
evaluated by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a psychiatrist,
psychologist, neurologist, speech therapist or any other professional who
specializes in diagnosing autism in children. Autism is not a diagnosis to take
lightly, which is why it’s important to have this type of comprehensive
evaluation.
As soon as you and your child’s evaluators feel certain
that autism is present, it’s time to get started with treatment.
Source:
The National Institute of Mental Health; The New York Times, Science Times Section, “Lifting the Veils of Autism, One by One,” 24 February 2004;
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