Understanding What an Autism Diagnosis Means

[Christian Hanks]

An autism diagnosis simply means that there is a part of the brain
that interferes with the ability to interact and communicate with
others. Symptoms of autism are usually always noticeable before the
age of three. There are three main symptoms that are used to determine
if a child is autistic:
1. They have no desire to interact with other children or even their
parents.
2. There is no interest in the world around them except for focusing
on one or two things, usually objects that they may develop
unnaturally strong attachments to.
3. Repetitive behavior or in some cases biting themselves or banging
their head is the third major symptom.
There are other symptoms that lead to the autism diagnosis. They are
varied but normally always have some common traits. They may include
some or all of the following as well as others:
1. Delayed development, such as talking, walking, and the normal
learning that toddlers go through.
2. Extreme sensitivity to being touched and they do not want to cuddle
or be hugged like most children.
3. Does not appear to hear you when you are talking to them and does
not make eye contact.
4. Easily upset if their regular routine is changed.
5. A tolerance for pain but an aversion to being touched may be
displayed.
6. Repetitive behavior is another symptom. This may include arranging
their toys in a certain way.
There are no medical tests that will allow your doctor to tell you a
certain test showed positive for an autism diagnosis. There are
however, tests that can tell you if the symptoms which are being
displayed are the result of something entirely different than autism.
Autism has been shown to be more prevalent in some families than
others.
The consensus is this affliction could be hereditary, while there are
beliefs that autism could be caused by a child's surroundings. There
is also the consideration that autism could be caused by a gene. At
this point, doctor's opinions vary on why one child develops autism
and others do not, and at this time there is no concrete scientific
evidence to know what causes autism for sure.
There are also different levels of autism. The autism diagnosis may be
such that the symptoms indicate a mild level of this disease. The
person with mild autism may be able to live independently if the
diagnosis is made early enough.
Often doctors use autism specific screening tests after listening to
concerns of parents who feel their child is not developing normally.
If preliminary testing shows the presence of autism, a more
comprehensive test may be ordered by your doctor.
The statistics say that for every 100 children, three to six will be
diagnosed with autism. The odds are higher for males, who are four
times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than females.
The American Academy of Pediatrics believes every child should have a
preliminary screening for autism when they have their 18 and 24 month
check-ups. This could help in early diagnosis and treatment. The main
thing to keep in mind is there are treatments to help control autism.
Every child is different and what may work for one will not
necessarily work for another. The key is handing the situation if your
child is tested and an autism diagnosis is made so that you can plan
for their future accordingly.