How do they test children for autism if he's a toddler?

Question

Do they tell you the outcome on the same day?

Answer 1

Because autism is a spectrum disorder, there is no actual "test" that gives an absolute yes or no - no blood test or brain scan. The psychologist/developmental pediatrician (or whoever is doing the screening) uses a range of methods to check for development in three areas - communication, social behaviour and perseverative behaviour. The tester will observe the child usually for an hour or two, will interact and use toys and puzzles to elicit responses, as well as asking parents about home behaviour.

If the child meets the criteria within those three areas, he/she can receive a diagnosis of autism. If they meet criteria within two areas, they may receive a diagnosis of PDD NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified). (All autistic disorders are classed as PDDs, PDD NOS is a diagnosis within the spectrum).

(A psychometric assessment is more intense and uses strict diagnostic tests administered under rigid parameters - our son was referred for a psychometric assessment after his initial diagnosis. It is used as a tool to help with preparing a program and as a baseline for measuring relative development.)

Our doctor told us by the end of the assessment that he considered our son to have autism (he was 26 months at the time) - which was a shock, but not a surprise. There is a website called firstsigns.org that has a lot of information about early diagnosis and intervention - the founder of the site has a book called "Could it be Autism" that I found extremely helpful and still pull out on occasion to check my son's "autism scores" as he goes through therapy.

What you won't get (from the diagnosing doctor or any other doctor or professional along the way) is a prognosis. In fact, if you find someone who is willing to give you a prognosis (especially if they promise you a cure), be very wary of them. The outcome of an autistic child is almost impossible to predict. This was the hardest thing for us - not having ANY IDEA what our child's future was going to be like.

If you do get a diagnosis, realize that although it's a shock it's not the life sentence it used to be. Many children do very well, attend college, live alone. Our son at age three and a half is a delight. He's just starting to talk, but is bright, compliant, affectionate and easy to have around. Our neighbours and a few relatives still insist that he's not autistic and that he'll "catch up" because he doesn't look like the kids they've seen on TV.

Become your child's advocate. Push for whatever you can, educate yourself about programs and laws (including tax laws) in your area, be persistent and keep track of every doctor, therapist, social worker and politician you see or speak to. Get names when you talk to someone on the phone, log calls with dates and times so you can refer back to them later. Keep a binder with everything in one place - keep receipts and bills no matter how small. Ask for a copy of every report and keep it in the file. Get on any waiting list they offer - you never know what the future holds, and some are years long.

Best of luck - and remember, an autism diagnosis doesn't change your child - it just explains everything that made him or her different.

Answer 2

I Australia we use a tool called a CHAT assessment, it is not a diagnostic tool but more of a screening test for toddlers. We are child health nurses and we cannot diagnose. We would do a screening test at about 18mths of age then refer onto a paeidatrician or some other health agency for an actual diagnosis.
_ we ask the parents several questions which are:
does the child enjoy being bounced on your knee?
- Does the child give parents eye contact?
_Does the child enjoy playing with other children?
Does the child have repetative actions, such as lining up cars straight, or fixations with say opening/closing cupboards.
-Does the child play with toys suitable for age?
-is there normal speech development for age?
There is another one, but I cannot remember off hand.
Hope this helps, seek advice from a Dr.

Answer 3

Autism is a set of symptoms and is diagnosed by looking at these symptoms. It is a spectrum disorder meaning there is a wide range of what a child with Autism could look like, but there are certain characteristics that almost all of them will have. A psychologist has various tools he/she will use to work with your child to compare your child's develoment with that of typically developing children the same age. The psychologist will give your child toys and activities to see what he does with them and uses these activities to determine your child's developmental age in language, social, and cognitive areas. The psychologist will usually spend and hour or two working with and playing with your child and should be able to discuss the results with you the same day. Symptoms usually include delays in language development- both expressive and receptive (does not talk in 2-3 word phrases by age 2, does not use language in a social way, may lead parent to desired object instead of asking for it, does not follow simple instructions); delays in social development (does not interact with others, poor eye contact, does not point to objects, does not respond when name is called; restricted interests (may only play with one toy or one kind of toy like cars, may not play with toys the right way like spinning the wheels on a car instead of driving the car around the way a typically developing child would, does not use imaginative play); "stimming" (self stimilatory and/or repetitive behaviors such as spinning, flapping arms, humming, lining things up in the same order over and over); and sensory problems (like things to be the same and predictable and may fall apart when their routine is disrupted, may only eat certain foods called food jags and may have severe adversions to certain smells, tastes, or textures, may have difficulty transitioning from one activity to another, may have frequent meltdowns). The earlier a child with Autism is diagnosed and can begin therapies (usually will include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and cognitive or "play" therapy) the better the prognosis. Many children with Autism will score low on IQ or cognitive tests because of the delay in receptive language (they don't understand the instructions or the way the questions are worded) but it is important to remember that this is done for diagostic purposes only and is not a true indication of your child's abilities or potential. Many Autistic children are actually very intelligent and are better at some things than their typically developing peers. Many Autistic children can overcome their symptoms but the key is early intervention.

Answer 4

When my two toddlers had their 2 year old check the health visitor would go in her cupboard and bring out a huge box of toys. Their reaction and how they respond to the toys is noted and it helps give an early indication if children are likely to be autistic or have any other problems.

Answer 5

If you're considering doing "Early Intervention", because you feel as though your toddler is lagging behind, they will come to your home and evaluate all developmental areas of your child. They will probably do two evals. Not sure why, but that's what they did with my son before he started with his speech therapy.
In our state, of Arizona, when a child reaches three years of age, it falls within the school district and you have to call there to get started on his evaluations. The same day they did my son's eval, they did tell me their opinion about his development in all areas.

Answer 6

they do a serous of psychological tests, and they should be able to tell you the same day as they evaluation, my partner has Apergers syndrome and have been thru this with him, having autism in the family can be hard and stressful, i found it helped when i joined an on line support group, i got all the information and help i could have asked for, my partner leads a normalish life, we have a 13week old son together and he's a great partner and father.
My son is under 36month review to see if he has autism with his father having it.

sure even if your son has autism he will do fine in life, good luck.

the support group i am a member of is http://groups.msn.com/autismchatandshare it really did help me.

Answer 7

medical doctors can run fairly some assessments to make a determination if a baby is autistic or not. there are a number of categories of autism additionally. babies can start to be examined for autism is at 3 years previous.

Answer 8

there are specially developed tests to see where is developmentally compared to a normal range pf peers. They will tell you at the visit, typically, and you will get a more thorough report later. Who are you taking him to for a diagnosis? We used a pediatric neurologist, but you can also get tested by a developmental therapist. If its the state or school testing, make sure to get a 2nd opinion from a medial Dr. The schools tend to under diagnose to save $$. good luck!!

Answer 9

While there is no one behavioral or communications test that can detect autism, several screening instruments have been developed that are now being used in diagnosing autism:

1. CARS rating system (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), developed by Eric Schopler in the early 1970s, is based on observed behavior. Using a 15-point scale, professionals evaluate a child's relationship to people, body use, adaptation to change, listening response, and verbal communication.

2. The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) is used to screen for autism at 18 months of age. It was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen in the early 1990s to see if autism could be detected in children as young as 18 months. The screening tool uses a short questionnaire with two sections, one prepared by the parents, the other by the child's family doctor or pediatrician.

3. The Autism Screening Questionnaire is a 40 item screening scale that has been used with children four and older to help evaluate communication skills and social functioning.

4. The Screening Test for Autism in Two-Year Olds is being developed by Wendy Stone at Vanderbilt and uses direct observations to study behavioral features in children under two. She has identified three skills areas that seem to indicate autism - play, motor imitation, and joint attention.

When my son was evaulated for Autism it was about a month long process done by a psychologist, with the last day of meeting him giving the diganosis.

Diagnosis of PDD, including autism, or any other developmental disability, is based upon the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association, Washington D.C., 1994, and is the main diagnostic reference of Mental Health professionals in the United States of America.

The central features of Autistic Disorder are the presence of markedly abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication and a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest. The manifestations of this disorder vary greatly depending on the developmental level and chronological age of the individual.

This is the criteria for autism:

A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):

1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

~Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
~Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
~A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)
~Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

2. Qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:

~Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gestures or mime)
~In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
~Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
~Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

3. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

~Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
~Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
~Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
~Persistent preoccupation with parts of object

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

~Social interaction
~Language as used in social communication
~Symbolic or imaginative play

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.