| The earlier you diagnose, the faster you can start the | | | | just another form of mental retardation by most of the |
| specific line of treatment - is a universal thought | | | | people. Thus if a child fails to communicate, or keep an |
| process adhered to by the medical faculty around the | | | | eye contact, it will not be reported to the pediatrician |
| globe. For an ailment like autism spectrum disorders | | | | immediately, thinking it just a part of slow speech |
| [ASD], coming to a confirmatory diagnosis poses | | | | development. When the child does not take interest in |
| many problems and challenges that it at times | | | | social interactions, it can be mis-understood as a |
| becomes too difficult to diagnose it in time. Here, we | | | | moodiness or shyness, instead of looking at it as a |
| will discuss the various aspects of diagnosing autism | | | | possible autistic trait. Denial also plays a significant role, |
| spectrum disorders. | | | | thus rejecting the possibility, even if the awareness |
| The first challenge that we face in doing so is the lack | | | | about autistic traits is made. |
| of any kind of medical test to confirm the autistic | | | | To avoid this, every child should be screened for |
| disorder. You just can't pull blood from all children at | | | | developmental delays and disabilities at regular intervals |
| birth and test them genetically. The diagnosis is | | | | of 9 months, 18 months and 24-30 months of their age. |
| predominantly based on the observations about the | | | | Additional visits can be arranged if the child shows |
| development and behavioral traits of a child, thus it | | | | some traits other than the normal ones. The children |
| becomes impossible to detect such ailment before the | | | | who give a history of preterm birth, or low birth weight, |
| child attains a specific age that is more than 18 years. | | | | or having a sibling with an ASD should be screened |
| The reason being there has been a lot of physiological | | | | more thoroughly and frequently, including an educational |
| variation that one can expect in the usual or normal | | | | session with the parents or guardians or care-takers |
| development of a child. Developmental delay has been | | | | to understand what to expect, and what not. |
| a common occurrence, and is not known to cause any | | | | The child can be further directed to comprehensive |
| major obstacle in the overall growth of the child - | | | | diagnostic evaluation, if shows positive signs of any |
| mentally, physically or otherwise. Thus, just because a | | | | traits characterizing ASDs. It can be done by |
| child does not start communicating till 1 year of age, | | | | developmental pediatricians, child neurologists and finally |
| may not be autism in making. | | | | child psychologists, for refined problem definition and |
| Yet another problem faced by the pediatricians is the | | | | management planning. |
| lack of awareness in the parental community about | | | | To conclude, I would repeat the motto - earlier we |
| autistic disorders - especially regarding the various | | | | define the problem, healthier we can resolve it. |
| forms of it. Autism is still considered an equivalent or | | | | |