If you are a parent who has been noticing some behaviors in your child that cause you to question whether he or she might be on the autism spectrum, I’d like to give you some guidance about how to move forward. My key point here is that early diagnosis is key, so it’s always better to err on the side of asking the questions and getting things figured out as early as possible. Depending on the outcome, a range of strategies can be helpful to your child. Let’s take look at early diagnosis and the range of services.
The Importance of Early Diagnosis
As with all diagnoses, early intervention is key! Early diagnosis and intervention open the door for a variety of support for you and your child. It is important to catch concerns early, so that you and professionals can determine which services are necessary. Addressing concerns early can not only enhance growth, but also help mitigate future risk of larger challenges. Kids are more likely to make significant long-term improvements when they receive an early diagnosis. The earlier intervention is provided, the stronger a child’s long-term progress is likely to be.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts a child’s social communication, interactions, and behaviors. It is important to note that symptoms of autism look different in all individuals! Many individuals may have heard “when you meet one person with autism, you meet just that one person”. With social communication, someone may have trouble with back-and-forth conversations, limited sharing of interests, difficulty initiating social interactions, and difficulty integrating verbal and nonverbal communication. Developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships can also be challenging. ASD also impacts behavior by experiencing restricted/repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. Some individuals may experience fixated interests, sensory sensitivities, and difficulty with altering routines.
Early Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Many children may experience an array of these symptoms which can be considered developmentally appropriate. However, if you notice that these symptoms are significantly impacting their everyday activities, an evaluation may be warranted! Here are a few indicators, but keep in mind that these need to be seen to a significant degree in order to warrant concern. Just one or two of these difficulties may not signal any major issues.
- A child’s spoke language may be developed.
- A child may not response when their name is called.
- You may notice that your child is withdrawn from peers most of the time.
- At playgrounds, your child may play by themselves or beside peers, but not interact with them.
- While at home, your child may have trouble playing with their siblings and have difficulty sharing, taking turns, or playing a variety of games.
- Your child may have significant difficulty making friends at school or engaging in conversations.
- Eye contact can be uncomfortable, and you may notice that it is hard to catch your child’s eye while talking.
- A child may become extremely upset when they notice a change in their daily routine.
- A child may have a strong attachment to unusual objects.
- Children may arrange toys in a particular order over and over again (e.g., lining toy cars or repetitively stacking blocks).
- A child may have hypersensitivity or low sensitivity to certain sensory inputs such as lights, textures, or sounds.
- A child may have trouble conversating about a variety of topics, but can easily discuss their interest (e.g., dinosaurs, history, mathematics, weather, train schedules, rockets).
- A child may engage in repetitive play and have difficulty with imaginative play.
- A child may engage in repetitive movements such as hand flapping, spinning, or rocking.
To determine if these symptoms are significant enough to warrant a diagnosis, you need to have an assessment completed by a licensed psychologist who has a specialty in this area. In particular, ask if they use the ADOS-2, which is considered the gold standard for autism assessment.
A Range of Services
With an ASD diagnosis, there are a variety of services that your child may receive depending on their current development level. Services may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavioral analysis therapy (ABA), and others. If your child has trouble with speech, they may require speech therapy. If you have behavioral concerns, they may also receive ABA therapy.
Southeast Psych Nashville provides outstanding autism evaluations and other services. If you would like to explore this, please call 615-373-9955 to begin the process. We look forward to any opportunity to help you and your family
