Diagnosing whether or not a child has autism is not always easy. A parent is usually the first to notice the symptoms. These symptoms include: an inability to speak at an age where other children are speaking; a disinterest in any social activities and people in general; odd behavior; mood swings and tantrums; exhibiting compulsive behavior, such as rearranging things and having to have certain things in a certain order.
Whilst all of the aforementioned are symptoms of autism it doesn’t mean that because a child has one or more of these symptoms that they definitely have autism, as these symptoms are also symptomatic of other conditions e.g. speech related difficulties could be to do with deafness.
There is no sure-fire medical test that can be conducted to test for autism. If a physician or doctor suspects a child may have autism they will have to go through a lengthy process of interviews, observations and evaluations with the child, to determine if in fact they are autistic. These will all be conducted with the assistance of other healthcare professionals including physical, occupational and speech therapists. They will work as a team studying how the child plays, learn, communicates and behaves.
Positive diagnosis of autism can be very distressful for the parents leaving them feeling powerless and overwhelmed. The reality of the situation is far from hopeless. Autism itself is not a life-threatening condition; it’s merely an obstacle in a life that children CAN overcome with the necessary understanding, support and teaching from others.
Whilst all of the aforementioned are symptoms of autism it doesn’t mean that because a child has one or more of these symptoms that they definitely have autism, as these symptoms are also symptomatic of other conditions e.g. speech related difficulties could be to do with deafness.
There is no sure-fire medical test that can be conducted to test for autism. If a physician or doctor suspects a child may have autism they will have to go through a lengthy process of interviews, observations and evaluations with the child, to determine if in fact they are autistic. These will all be conducted with the assistance of other healthcare professionals including physical, occupational and speech therapists. They will work as a team studying how the child plays, learn, communicates and behaves.
Positive diagnosis of autism can be very distressful for the parents leaving them feeling powerless and overwhelmed. The reality of the situation is far from hopeless. Autism itself is not a life-threatening condition; it’s merely an obstacle in a life that children CAN overcome with the necessary understanding, support and teaching from others.