What Is Autism?

The following content was obtained from the American Psychiatric Association website.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition involving persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. While autism is considered a lifelong condition, the need for services and supports because of these challenges varies among individuals with autism.

If you are concerned about your toddler having autism, learn more about the M-CHAT screening test. Take the online version or paper version, then take the results to your child’s pediatrician or medical doctor. Possible additional evaluations might be needed.

Early signs of this condition can be noticed by parents/caregivers or pediatricians before a child reaches one year of age. However, the need for services and supports typically becomes more consistently visible by the time a child is 2 or 3 years old. In some cases, the problems related to autism may be mild and not apparent until the child starts school, after which their deficits may be pronounced when amongst their peers.

Parent/caregiver/teacher concerns about the child’s behavior should lead to a specialized evaluation by a developmental pediatrician, pediatric psychologist, child neurologist and/or a child and adolescent psychiatrist. This evaluation involves interviewing the parent/caregiver, observing, and interacting with the child in a structured manner, and sometimes conducting additional tests to rule out other conditions. In some ambiguous cases the diagnosis of autism may be deferred, but an early diagnosis can greatly improve a child’s functioning by providing the family early access to supportive resources in the community.

The first step is seeking an evaluation. Most parents start with their pediatrician who is checking on developmental milestones.

• If your child is under the age of 3 years, you can obtain an evaluation through your local early intervention system.
• If your child is over the age of 3, you can get an evaluation through your local school (even if your child does not go there). Contact your local school’s preschool special education team to request an evaluation.

There are several effective interventions that can help a child reach their full potential.:

• Applied behavioral analysis: Involves systematic study of the child’s functional challenges, which is used to create a structured behavioral plan for improving their adaptive skills and decreasing inappropriate behavior
• Social skills training: Done in group or individual settings, this intervention helps children with autism improve their ability to navigate social situations
• Speech & language therapy: Can improve the child’s speech patterns and understanding of language
• Occupational therapy: Can address adaptive skills deficits with activities of daily living, as well as problems with handwriting
• Parent management training: Parents learn effective ways of responding to problematic behavior and encouraging appropriate behavior in their child. Parent support groups help parents cope with the stressors of raising a child with autism
• Special education services: Are provided by schools under an Individual Education Plan and can include a range of services and accommodations for social communication deficits, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. This can include special classes for very young children to address language, social skills and other needs.
• Treating co-occurring conditions: Children with autism are more likely to experience insomnia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, anxiety, and depression than peers without autism. These conditions also need to be addressed. The impact of these conditions can be reduced with the proper services, which can include any of the above, as well as psychotherapy and/or medication. Treating these conditions typically involves coordination with a pediatrician or primary care clinician.
• Medication: A child psychiatrist can evaluate for other mental health conditions and prescribe medication if appropriate. For example, autism-related irritability that does not respond to behavioral interventions can be reduced by medications such as aripiprazole and risperidone (the two medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for irritability associated with autism), prescribed judiciously by a knowledgeable clinician in collaboration with the child’s parents.

Several complementary and alternative interventions involving special diets and supplements have been tried over the years. Most of these interventions, including therapies, diets, and “natural treatment,” do not have scientific evidence supporting them and can lead to false expectations. Parents should be very cautious about treatments that are advertised as being able to “cure” autism. Research into these types of interventions continues, and parents/caregivers interested in them should discuss them with their child’s treating clinician.

For more information, visit the American Psychiatric Association website.