While every child grows and learns in their own unique way, we know that every human develops certain skills (milestones) at relatively the same point in time. These are milestones such as walking, smiling, talking and playing with others. But what happens if your child isn’t reaching these milestones? Or what does it mean if your doctor recommends a psychological evaluation? Below are some tips for parents to understand their child’s development, what may result from a psychological evaluation, and next steps if your child is diagnosed with autism:
Child Development
- Understand and track your child’s development
◦ CDC’s Developmental Milestones | CDC - If your child is missing milestones, delayed in meeting their milestones, or loses skills they once had you should contact your doctor
Evaluation and Autism Diagnosis
- Your doctor may recommend an evaluation by a psychologist to rule out autism or other related developmental disabilities/delays
- Autism can be diagnosed as early as 18 months
- If your child is diagnosed with autism, they may receive a ‘level’ by the psychologist (Level 1-3)
◦ Level = amount of support your child requires right now to be successful in their environments (home, school, community) - The psychologist may recommend additional testing to rule out other disabilities, such as ADD or ADHD
Next Steps
- Early intervention or similar supports will likely be recommended by your doctor or psychologist
◦ Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy
◦ Occupational therapy (OT)
◦ Speech therapy
◦ Family support or psychotherapy - ABA is an evidenced-based therapy approach to support children with autism in bridging the developmental gap between them and their peers
