76. Should I Pursue an Autism Diagnosis?

Many parents find themselves unsure when they begin to see their
child struggle in certain areas if they should just “wait it
out”?  Maybe you are thinking that he or she will grow out
of it, get past these quirky or odd things and catch up. Is that
you? I have worked with many moms who were sitting in that place
of “hopeful”.


What I want you to consider is why are you hesitant or even
resistant to having him or her evaluated?  I know that for
many parents contemplating the decision to get their son or
daughter evaluated it comes down to fear of the unknown but here
is what I do know, we know that early intervention is key, and
without a proper evaluation to consider their deficits and make a
plan they may not be getting all that they need to bridge the
gap.


If the worst thing that happens in your mind is that they get
diagnosed, what are you making that mean? Ask yourself that
question and answer it honestly. The truth is that if he or she
is autistic, the earlier you can begin helping them learn in a
way that works for them, the better chance they have to build
their skill-set early on to help them navigate their world.


Having your child diagnosed with autism can be an extremely
difficult time for the family but this is the first and most
important step.  When children go undiagnosed, so many areas
of their life can be difficult to understand.


If you decide to pursue the diagnosis, there are some things that
you can do ahead of time to be prepared for the appointment and
one of those is completing a developmental milestone chart in
advance.


Below are links to a few of the most common or most used charts.
 


https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html


https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/Checklists-with-Tips_Reader_508.pdf


https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/community_physicians/patient_information/_docs/form_mchatr.pdf


Here is what I want to leave you with today, first and most
important, you need to know that getting an evaluation or
assessment does not necessarily always lead to a diagnosis. The
outcome is not certain.


www.notyouraverageautismmom.com