Who diagnoses Autism?

Question

Who diagnoses Autism?

Answer 1

As a special education teacher, please know that school staff are not qualified to diagnose anything within what is known as  "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD).  Start with your family doctor/pediatrician.  Make sure there isn't a hearing condition, which can sometimes mimic some ASD characteristics (any comprehensive evaluation will include a hearing screening test).  Good luck.

Answer 2

physicians - It is a medical diagnosis.

How is autism diagnosed?

Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps.  Doctors rely on a core group of behaviors to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism.  These behaviors are:    

impaired ability to make friends with peers

impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

absence or impairment of imaginative and social play

stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language

restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus

preoccupation with certain objects or subjects

inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

Doctors will often use a questionnaire or other screening instrument to gather information about a child’s development and behavior.  Some screening instruments rely solely on parent observations; others rely on a combination of parent and doctor observations.  If screening instruments indicate the possibility of autism, doctors will ask for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Autism is a complex disorder.  A comprehensive evaluation requires a multidisciplinary team including a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and other professionals who diagnose children with ASDs.  The team members will conduct a thorough neurological assessment and in-depth cognitive and language testing.  Because hearing problems can cause behaviors that could be mistaken for autism, children with delayed speech development should also have their hearing tested. After a thorough evaluation, the team usually meets with parents to explain the results of the evaluation and present the diagnosis.  

Children with some symptoms of autism, but not enough to be diagnosed with classical autism, are often diagnosed with PDD-NOS.  Children with autistic behaviors but well-developed language skills are often diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.  Children who develop normally and then suddenly deteriorate between the ages of 3 to 10 years and show marked autistic behaviors may be diagnosed with childhood disintegrative disorder.  Girls with autistic symptoms may be suffering from Rett syndrome, a s*x-linked genetic disorder characterized by social withdrawal, regressed language skills, and hand wringing.



Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys. The issuance of this report caused a media uproar, but the news was not a surprise to ASA or to the 1.5 million Americans living with the effects of autism spectrum disorder. Nonetheless, the spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of supports for their children.

Currently, ASA estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

Lack of or delay in spoken language

Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)

Little or no eye contact

Lack of interest in peer relationships

Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play

Persistent fixation on parts of objects

Last updated: 21 January 2008

Answer 3

generally

a developmental pediatrician

or

pediatric neurologist

or

developmental neurologist

\and the word is Aspergers (not aspbergers) which is on the autism spectrum

Answer 4

well usually what happens is specialists will do observations of the person who they think might have autism. then they will also send that person to a special doctor, where they will diagnose it

autism isnt always very specific there are a wide range of symptoms depending where on the autism spectrum the person falls...they may be more on the autism side or on the aspbergers syndrome side.