What to Do if You Suspect

Parents are often the first to notice that something is “not right” with their child. A child may be unresponsive from birth, cry excessively, not make eye contact, or focus obsessively on an object for a long period of time. Some children who seemed to be developing normally suddenly stop babbling, become indifferent to others, lose imaginative play skills, do not respond to their name, and become uninterested in playing with other children.

If you have any concerns about your child's development, do not wait. Speak to your doctor about screening your child for autism. While validated screening for autism typically starts as young as 16 months, the best bet for younger children is to have their development screened at every well visit with a highly validated developmental screening tool. If your child does have autism, in the absence of a cure, early intervention may provide the best chance for successful outcomes.

If your doctor tells you to wait – don’t. Wait times to access publicly funded diagnosis professionals vary across regions and provinces but can be very long. Ask for a referral to a developmental pediatrician or another professional trained in assessments and diagnosis. A wait of even two to three months could mean longer waits to access publicly funded diagnosis services and treatments or interventions.

In evaluating a child, doctors rely on behavioural characteristics to make a diagnosis. A well-child checkup should include observational data and a developmental screening. Parents' observations are essential in a proper screening. In addition, several tools are commonly used to screen for autism, including the Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) and the Comprehensive Autism Ratings Scale (CARS). These basic screening tools do not provide a diagnosis but rather indicate whether a child should be referred for further evaluation.

Usually, a team of specialists is involved in the diagnosis. The team may include a neurologist, psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician, psychologist, gastroenterologist, audiologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and other professionals. Because there is no medical test or biomarker for autism, diagnosis is based on observation of the child's behaviour, educational and psychological testing, and parental reporting. Usually, the team members evaluate the child, assessing his or her strengths and weaknesses, and then explain the test results to parents.

The moment when parents learn that their child is autistic can be devastating, even if they suspected something was wrong. Much of this could be due to the fact that, unlike other diseases or disorders, autism carries no defined treatment protocol.

Unfortunately and all too often parents are on their own and must begin navigating the complex web of treatments, interventions, and therapies to determine which intervention approach might be best for their child. Gaining as much information as possible is critical to becoming an effective advocate for your child.

A great place to start finding out more information about services and supports in your region is the Autism Speaks Canada� Family Services Database .