Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that usually impacts an individual in terms of social interaction and communication. Some children may show signs of ASD as early as infancy. Typically, the child will show a lack of eye contact, reduced response to their name, or restricted and repetitive behaviors. However, no two children diagnosed with ASD are alike; therefore, how doctors diagnose ASD may vary. Due to the variabilities of severity, there is not a specific medical test to determine the disorder. Usually, pediatricians are the first professionals involved in the autism diagnosis process. As children get an assessment during their well-child visits that occur at 18-and 24-months. Your child’s doctor will be looking for things such as: whether your baby started babbling and cooing by 12 months, if they were mimicking sounds and facial expressions by 9 months, or if your baby smiled by 6 months.

The following are other questions that the doctor might ask you as the caretaker:

• Does your child have trouble making eye contact?
• Do they have any unusual or repetitive behaviors?
• Are they sensitive to light, noise, or temperature?
• Do they respond when others seek their attention?

More tests would be required for further examination if your child’s doctor suspects that your child might be at risk of ASD. Specialists such as child psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists will provide more comprehensive tests. These tests consist of checking your child’s cognitive level, language abilities, and fine motor skills such as pointing, shaking objects, or drinking from a sippy cup.

There are two critical aspects that would make the specialist more inclined to diagnose your child with ASD:

Restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior: Commonly, children diagnosed with ASD might repeat phrases, rock their bodies, fixate on one subject, or are extremely sensitive to changes in routines.

Challenges with communication and social interaction: Children diagnosed with ASD have a hard time making connections or predicting the reactions of other people. Also, they could be missing the milestones of speaking compared to other children.

As parents, if you are concerned, make sure to contact your child’s doctor. This developmental monitoring and screening tool could be helpful as general milestones guidelines for your child.

Our Husky ABA Clinic is also a great resource to provide directions if you have more questions. Once your child is diagnosed, how will you decide if treatment is necessary for your child? Next week, we will delve into some of the determining factors when seeking treatment options.