Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - signs of Autism and Autism Diagnosis

 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition. Signs of autism include persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviour. Autism is considered a lifelong disorder and can have a significant impact on Child and Adolescent mental health. An accurate Autism Diagnosis is essential to get the right support for your child.

• Children are often diagnosed with autism once they start school when their social communication and behavioural characteristics mark their development as different from their peers. Some common signs of autism are:
• Difficulty making conversation with others, perhaps dominating conversations with their favourite topic and not knowing how to take turns.
• Not paying attention to or able to interpret non-verbal communication of others
• Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have different speech patterns such as monotone (little vocal inflection) or an old fashioned way of talking.
• Wanting to be alone, Children & Adolescents may find being with others very stressful and exhausting (Low social battery).
• Children & Adolescents with Autism are often rigid in following rules at school and in sport and games
• They may it hard to read social cues and the rules of friendship
• Children & Adolescents with Autism may have unusually intense interests or hobbies.
• Sometimes there are repetitive physical movements, such as touching, biting, rocking or finger flicking.
• Sensory issues in Children & Adolescents with Autism are particularly common, either heightened or lack of sense of smell, touch, taste, sound and vision
• There is a need to follow routines to feel secure, become very upset when expected routines change
• Children & Adolescents with signs of Autism may have only a few or no close friends
• Aggression is sometimes seen, usually as a way of avoiding overwhelming situations.
• Anxiety is also common, especially in teenagers with Autism

Appropriately qualified Child Psychologists with specialist training in Autism assessment can help inn the ASD diagnosis process by evaluating the signs of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Conclusive Autism Diagnosis is generally made by a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist. 

The assessment process may involve:

A developmental assessment
Assessment of cognitive/thinking abilities
An assessment of skills of daily living (e.g. dressing self, eating, toileting)
An assessment of speech and language skills
School observations

An assessment should include:

• A comprehensive developmental interview with specific questions relating to indicators of ASD i.e. ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised)
• An observational assessment, using a standardised measure, which communication, social interaction, play, and restricted and repetitive behaviours i.e. ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – second edition.
   

Reliable Autism Assessment is essential. Autism assessments at childrenplus are done by specialist child psychologists in our Noida office and cater to patients from New Delhi, Ghaziabad and NCR. They are comprehensive and uses standardised measures.