Autism Diagnosis

An autism mom explains how receiving a diagnosis at an early age can benefit your child’s development. It all started with the spinning. I remember walking into our living room and seeing my six-month-old son sitting upright on our hardwood floors, spinning his toy aquarium bowl as if his life depended on it. I recall

Diagnosing mental conditions can be tricky, and autism is no exception. Over the years, our understanding of autism and developmental disorders, in general, has evolved a lot, but that means it can be hard to keep track of all the subcategories and definitions that have popped up along the way.  One term you may have

The journey to attaining a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often comes with many hurdles and back-and-forth consultations. Some parents only receive a positive diagnosis after years of seeking answers for their children’s challenges.  Due to the spectrum of autism, diagnostic instruments have been developed to help clinicians or examiners measure traits against specific

At first glance prenatal testing seems like the ultimate feat of modern medicine. But when reading about parents provided with knowledge and subsequent choices, a dystopian future where tests decide who gets to live becomes imaginable. Prenatal testing for autism is not widely available, and the ethical implications of such testing are enormous. When considering

When you have a child or children with autism, you probably spend more time with doctors and therapists than most other families. First, there’s the search for a diagnosis, then there are potential treatments, not to mention the other conditions—such as ADHD or gastrointestinal issues—sometimes associated with ASD.  All this means you’ve almost certainly come

Medical professionals and researchers often consult the DSM-5, a manual sometimes referred to as the bible of mental conditions. In this article the criteria for an autism diagnosis according to the DSM-5 will be examined. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) is a manual often cited

When people hear the word “autism,” they probably don’t picture babies. After all, most aren’t diagnosed until they’re toddlers or even older. But ASD does exist in infants, and detecting it early on can make a difference for your child’s behavioral development and functioning in the future. In this article, we’ll discuss what you can

Autism spectrum disorders are often characterized by language impairments. Dyslexia also manifests in language deficits…which begs the question of a possible connection between the two. An autism diagnosis may explain some of your child’s challenging behavior, but parents are often left wondering whether every symptom is autism related. To add to the confusion, autism is

With more experience and less exhausted eyes, grandparents often play a huge role in bringing autism symptoms to the attention of new parents. “It takes a village to raise a child”—just hearing this phrase might evoke images of a bygone era, in which extended family, neighbors, and regular citizens all had a hands-on role to

Diving straight into the controversial nature of this topic, perhaps the title should have been: Is Borderline Autism a Real Diagnosis? The term borderline autism probably exists because autism is difficult to diagnose—much of the challenge lies in the fact that autism is a spectrum disorder. The spectrum is wide, and the borders create as

When our two-and-a-half-year-old son’s speech and language therapist suggested we have him tested for autism, we were taken aback. By the time we got the ASD diagnosis, we had done a lot of reading, taken surveys about his behaviors, and talked to people in the know. We’d started living with it before it was even

The days following a diagnosis of autism might feel like a grieving period for some parents. They may need to take some time to process what the diagnosis means for their child and family.  They may need to grieve for the life they thought their child would have. This may take some time, then, after

A look at how the diagnosis of asperger’s disorder being replaced with the broader diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has had an impact on a mother and son. Prior to 2013, individuals diagnosed with asperger’s disorder were described as possessing degrees of characteristics that were distinct and different from neurotypical people. Though varying from one

It is harrowing for parents to suspect something is different about their child. It is a situation that becomes even more challenging if suspicions are not validated by an accurate diagnosis in a timely manner. Many parents who suspect their child may be showing signs of autism, among other developmental and physical differences, learn quickly

Certain health conditions may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These are described below, though there is no evidence for a causal relationship with ASD. Sensory processing difficulties Children with ASD often have difficulty processing everyday sensory information in all senses, from noise to touch to smells, sounds, and tastes. Any of the senses