What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (or ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts the brain as it develops. Children as young as 3 months old can display signs of Autism such as lack of eye contact, little or no babbling, and muted emotional responses.
There are 2 main features of Autism:
1) Communication: Your child has differences in how they communicate and interact with other people (social communication) compared with other children their age.
2) Behavior: Your child may have narrow or specific interests, repetitive motions (tapping, rocking), difficulty with changes in routines, or intense sensory sensitivities.
Autism can look very different from one child to another. For example, a person with profound autism may not be able to attend school and could require support for all functional living activities. If self-harm behaviors are present, they may need a higher level of care than a family can handle. On the other end of the spectrum, children may be functioning well at school and home and only require minor accommodations to ensure their development remains on pace with their peers. Autistic individuals that are in the moderate range may require higher support needs in school, one on one behavioral therapy, and they may need support going into adulthood.
What Causes Autism?
Autism is a complex disorder that is heavily influenced by your genetic makeup. Autism is highly (over 80% of cases) heritable. Family history is important to review with your doctor or psychologist during testing.
Other factors that contribute to an autism diagnosis include neurobiology, maternal health, and early exposure to certain environmental factors (ex: pollution, toxins in water).
Professionals That Can Diagnose Autism
The list of licensed professionals are able to assess for and diagnosis ASD include: Psychiatrist (MD) Neurologist (MD)Developmental Pediatrician (MD)Psychologist/Neuropsychologist (PhD or PsyD)
What to Expect During Testing At Dimensions Psychology, our team has extensive experience in assessing for and diagnosing autism. We assess children using a strengths-based approach. We address the behavioral deficits and developmental concerns associated with Autism and have room to highlight their strengths.
Autism testing is always scheduled as an in-person evaluation and includes: An in-depth interview to gather family history, current and past behavioral, sleep, or mood issues, and family dynamics. A review of your child's mental health and medical records (with your permission). We can review school report cards or evaluations from teachers as well. Play therapy is a tool we use to interact with your child on their level and observe behavior and communication. We may use screening tools or checklists that offer insight from parents or teachers.
