Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is marked by difficulties with social communication/interaction, as well as restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. Kids with ASD can begin showing signs as early as 12 months of age, but it’s typically recommended that families wait until 18-24 months to get formal testing. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced ASD evaluation expert can be considered reliable.
Depending on a child’s developmental milestones, the specific symptoms they may be showing, and where they lie on the ASD spectrum, ASD can easily be misdiagnosed or go unnoticed. Due to missed signs and behaviors, it is important for parents and caregivers to understand what some potential signs and symptoms of ASD may be.
In younger children, signs of ASD include:
Avoiding eye contact
Disengagement with games or playing with peers
Lack of pretend play
Toileting troubles
Sensory sensitivity (i.e., touch, smell, noise)
Tantrums that occur more often and last longer than peers
In older children, signs of ASD include:
Difficulty engaging with the back and forth flow of conversations
Difficulty with perspective-taking (i.e., seeing another’s point of view, understanding how another is feeling)
Tendency to discuss a specific topic for an overly extended period of time
Struggles with interpreting nonverbal language of others such as body movements, facial expressions, nonverbal cues
Repetitive movements or behaviors such as flapping one’s hands (often called stimming)
Rigidity regarding routines
If your child is displaying these characteristics, give your pediatrician a call and ask for a screening to determine whether a more extensive ASD evaluation would be indicated. If not, feel free to give us a call (267-551-1984) and we can help you figure out whether you should pursue a full assessment for ASD.
One thing to note is that the earlier you get a proper diagnosis and treatment, the better the outcomes for your child will be. Proper Autism testing should be comprehensive and include multiple sources of information (including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, which is the hallmark component of the gold-standard Autism assessment battery).
The Autism evaluation experts at the Center for CBT offer extremely comprehensive, accurate Autism evaluations that include detailed treatment plan recommendations and next steps for your child. You can read more about our ASD evaluations at the Center for CBT here: https://www.centerforcbt.net/autism-evaluations or give us a call for a consultation directly with an Autism evaluation specialist at 267-551-1984.