What Is Autism And How Do I Know If My Child Has It?

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Are you the parent of a young child that is concerned about their development?

Does your child, have unusual behavior, delays in speech, refuses or is limited

in their contact with you and their peers? This article will briefly discuss the

definition of autism, diagnostic tools used to diagnose it, and resources to get

more information.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that usually appears during the

first three years of a child's life. It is defined by a unique set of behaviors

and is considered a spectrum disorder. In fact some people refer to it as Autism

Spectrum Disorder. What this means, is that a child can have different symptoms

that go across a spectrum. You will also hear terms like pervasive developmental

disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), asbergers syndrome, retts syndrome.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder refers to the overall category and is not a

label for diagnostic purposes.

6 Signs:

1. Speech delay or communication problems (using and understanding language.2.

Repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. Also motor mannerisms such as

hand flapping or spinning toys or bottles.3. Lack of spontaneous or make believe

play, or unusual play with toys and other objects.4. Lack of interest in peer

and family relationships.5. Little or no eye contact.6. Difficulty with changes

in routine or familiar surroundings.

These definitions were found at NICHCY www.nichcy.org. and

www.autism-society.org. Both sites contain a lot of information, including

treatment.

The Autism Society of Americas Web site contain information on screening and

diagnoses. They also state that the rate of the disorder is 1 in 150 children.

For Screening they recommend that the child's Doctor use a tool called The

Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). This tool uses a short questionnaire

that both the parents and the doctor fill out. I recently heard that the

American Medical Association is encouraging all doctors to screen their children

patients at 18 months.

For Diagnoses they recommend the childhood autism rating scale, which is also

called the CARS. I often ask for the CARS when I suspect that a child may have

autism. This scale also gives a rating of mild, moderate or severe, which is

helpful to parents and special education personnel. Do not confuse the CARS with

the GARS! GARS stands for the Gillium Autism Rating Scale, and is used in older

children and adults.

Some school districts do not like to diagnose children with autism. I am not

sure why, (perhaps they are afraid that parents will ask for a lot of services).

Do not accept special education personnels " opinion " that your child does or

does not have autism, ask for the CARS rating scale.

Autism is a life long developmental disability that will affect your child for

their entire life. But studies show that early diagnosis and treatment will lead

to much improved outcomes. You must make sure, that your child receive treatment

as early as possible, for the best life outcome!

Critical Information To Maximize the Potential of Someone With Autism:

http://www.autismgd.tk/