Diagnosis of autism is based on the following:
- Watching how your child plays and interacts with others
- Interviewing you
- Reviewing your child’s developmental history
Why Test/When to Test:
Diagnosing children with ASD as early as possible is essential to ensure they receive the support
and services they need to reach their full potential.
They might find it hard to understand what others are feeling or thinking—get very anxious
about social situations—find it hard to make friends or prefer to be on their own.
Signs of ASD:
- Lines up toys or other objects and gets upset when the order is changed.
- Repeats words or phrases over and over
- Plays with toys the same way every time.
- Gets upset by minor changes.
- Has obsessive interest
What does the evaluation involve?
We look at the child’s developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis. Screening
questionnaires and checklists are based on research that compares your child to other children of
the same age—questions about movement, language, thinking skills, emotions, and behaviors. A
doctor, nurse, or other professionals in healthcare, community, or school settings can do the
developmental screening.