Whether autism is more common now or just better
diagnosed, the statistics show that more and more children are being diagnosed
with this developmental disorder. To be blunt, there has been a shocking
increase in the number of autism cases diagnosed over the last decade. Wisely,
parents and doctors are seeking out ways to diagnose or rule out autism as early
as possible during child development so that immediate treatments and therapy
can begin when it is found.
Autism checklists have gained in popularity in response
to fears and uncertainty about autism. Pediatricians can work with parents to
make sure an autism checklist is filled out to help the diagnosis or ruling out
of autism in each child. Many times the pediatrician will have a parent filling
out the initial elements of the autism checklist when they come in to the office
for an appointment.
While no individual symptom means a child has autism, a
combination of symptoms can definitely point in that direction. Much of what
will be found on an autism checklist regards how the child interacts with
others. Another common symptom in the early years would be moments of
unresponsiveness or blank staring. Even though the child normally responds to
sound, the autistic child may act as if he or she were deaf for periods of time.
Just as strangely, the autistic child may get obsessed with a seemingly minor
noise while apparently not hearing the voice of a parent.
If a child doesn't ever seem to make eye contact during
communication, this could be a symptom of autism. Forced eye contact may even
make the child angry. So eye contact can always be found on autism
checklists.
Severe forms of autism are often diagnosed when a child
fails to reach language milestones. If the child does not begin talking within a
reasonable amount of time or struggles to understand what he or she is being
told, this may be an indicator of autism. Autism checklists will often ask
questions about when the child began speaking and how the child responds to
instructions. Questions will be asked such as whether your child uses gestures
to communicate or gets frustrated when trying to speak. Less severe forms of
autism and other developmental disorders may not be accompanied by extreme
language delay.
There are also certain movements that if performed
repeatedly may indicate autism. Autism checklists will ask questions about
whether your child does a lot of hand flapping, circling, or rocking. It may
also ask if you've noted any other such behaviors that may seem extremely
repetitive.
It doesn't hurt to ask your child's pediatrician to
check for autism or to have you fill out an autism checklist. The prognosis for
an autistic child to develop important life skills is better the earlier the
child is diagnosed and begins treatment for autism. The later your child is
diagnosed, the harder it will be for your child to learn important
skills.
