Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy

If you are reading this, you may be asking yourself “Does my child have an autism spectrum disorder?” In my opinion, if you even slightly suspect it you should speak to your pediatrician. In my experience both personal and in talking with others, most pediatricians do not know enough about autism to diagnose it and will refer you to a specialist. There are many different specialists that will be able to diagnose your daughter but the most common is probably a developmental pediatrician. Forewarning, the wait for an appointment can be long; it is not unheard of to wait for months. For our diagnosis we chose to see a developmental psychologist who specialized in autism spectrum disorders instead of waiting.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) has broken down the autism spectrum disorders into the following categories: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS. There are a variety of diagnostic tools available to practitioners to assist in providing an accurate diagnosis. The site linked above, childbrain.com, has a great screening tool that you may be interested in filling out: PDD Assessment Scale/Screening Questionnaire. Please note that this is not a diagnostic tool but I, personally, found it helpful when I was researching autism on my own. I ended up printing a copy and taking it to the psychologist on our first visit and it helped her understand where I was coming from as a mother.

In closing, I highly suggest reading the Beginner’s Guide to Autism: Starting Out.