Suspecting Autism

🤔 🤔 I SUSPECT MY CHILD MAY HAVE AUTISM:

Reach out to the pediatrician for a referral for an Autism evaluation. In the US a medical diagnosis can be provided by Developmental Pediatrician, Psychologist or Neurologist. If your pediatrician refuses, it is recommended to seek a different pediatrician for a second opinion. Remember the pediatrician works for you, not the other way around. YOU know your child best and there is no harm in getting an evaluation even if you find out the child isn't diagnosed with Autism.

⏳ ⏳ The wait list for a diagnosis and services can be very long, 2-6 years in some places. There is nothing wrong with calling around your state and asking about the wait list to different doctors that perform the evaluations. An extra bit of a drive can actually save you months to years of waiting. People say getting the diagnosis can open so many doors. While that can be true, there are things you can do while you're in the waiting period. Sometimes the pediatrician can provide you with a placeholder diagnosis of Global Developmental Delays, Receptive Language Delay, Speech Delay, Sensory Processing Disorder. With these diagnosis' you may be able to get therapy started and even apply for grants, SSI and various other funding sources. Please see our Resource Featured Post.

👩‍🦰 👨‍🦱THERAPY: While you are waiting you can look into Early Intervention (Birth to 3) services. You can Google search pediatric occupational, speech, physical and ABA therapies in your area. Depending on your insurance you may be able to get therapy services started prior to a diagnosis. Some children will respond differently to in-home versus in-clinic therapies. You could do one or the other or both.

🤯 🤯 SO MANY EVALUATIONS: There are different types of evaluations for diagnosing Autism. Some insurance companies will require a medical diagnosis before helping to cover therapy costs associated, some do not. Before starting school an educational evaluation can be done to determine the educational needs of the child. Typically both of these will need to occur. When starting therapy or Early Intervention, they may conduct their own evaluation. The educational and therapy evaluations do not result in an official diagnosis.

💒 📚 EDUCATIONAL NEEDS: If your child is around 3 years old, you can contact your local school district to request an educational evaluation and let them know you suspect Autism. Child Find is the government funded organization to look up in your area. As part of this process your child can receive an IEP, Individualized Education Program. The IEP will act as a road map to direct the education team to take the appropriate routes to educate your child while ensuring the needs of your child are met. Your child may be eligible for therapy services (Occupational, Speech, ABA) through the school and as a part of the IEP. ⏰ This could actually save you time in getting therapy started for your child. Remember that just because your child starts off in special education classes, doesn't necessarily mean they will be throughout their school life. It just indicates your child requires more attention than what a teacher in mainstream school can give. The teacher to student ratio are often 1:8-1:20. This doesn't allow the teacher to interact with the children 1 on 1. In special education the ratio can be 1:3, 1:2 and sometimes 1:1. Please see our Featured Post for additional information regarding the IEP process.

📔 📘 PREPARING FOR THE APPOINTMENT: In preparation for the appointment it's a good idea to capture some short videos of the behaviors that concern you. Maybe even pictures. You want to be prepared to show the evaluators your concerned, because your child may not act the same as usual during the evaluation. Have a list of behaviors, strengths and weaknesses. ‼️

📅 APPOINTMENT DAY: On the day of your evaluation appointment, try to relax. It's going to be ok. You may want to bring a drink for yourself and a drink and snack for your child. Maybe bring a couple of their comfort items. And definitely bring your list, videos, pictures and any additional paperwork they have indicated you may need.

🔎 A lot of times the evaluation is an observation of your child. They are observing how they play, how they speak, how they interact and how they interact in a social setting with a new stranger. The other part of the evaluation is you answering questions. They will ask about your child's birth and development up to present and about their behaviors & struggles. They may start by asking you why you are concerned.

📁 The most common Autism testing is done using the ADOS model. But this may vary by location, facility and insurance. Your appointment may be a single appointment lasting a couple hours of multiple appointments. Sometimes you get the results the same day sometimes you have to wait a couple weeks or a month. That is the hardest part, not all of the processes are the same. However, when the appointment is scheduled you can ask them. Ask what to expect. There is nothing wrong with asking questions so you can be prepared! If you receive the diagnosis and you do not agree, seek a second opinion. You have every right to do so.

👀 Please see our What to do once we've got the diagnosis post for further information.

📣 📣 Please drop your experience/stories in the comments‼️ We'd love to hear about the process from your perspective.