Unfortunately, doctors unfamiliar with diagnosing autism sometimes dismiss parent concerns, delaying diagnosis and the opportunity for early intervention therapies. Autism organizations are working hard to raise awareness of early signs among physicians as well as parents. We encourage parents to trust their instincts and find a doctor who will listen and refer their child to appropriate specialists for diagnosis.
Autism Spectrum Disorders can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 3, although new research is pushing back the age of diagnosis to as early as 6 months. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental skills.
First, since vocal communication may be a problem, hearing tests are generally one of the first tests to be completed. Once hearing tests are completed, a complete neurological exam is given, along with cognitive and language testing.
Neurologists, speech therapists, psychomotor therapists, special educators, psychologists and psychiatrists are usually brought on board, and at the end of testing parents should be heavily involved in talking to doctors about the prognosis and decide together which way to proceed for treatment. |