If you feel your child has any of the early warning signs of autism or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) you need to act RIGHT NOW to start the evaluation process. Several medical professionals may be required to get the proper diagnosis. It’s going to take time to see all these specialists and your child does not have the time to waste!

Start with your pediatrician – Tell them your concerns, and be as specific as possible. If the pediatrician wants to see your child before making a referral, make the appointment for as soon as possible. No matter how old you child is, don’t let them take a wait-and-see approach, or wait until the next regularly scheduled check-up visit. Until the appointment, keep a log of all the behaviours that concern you; what they are, when they occur, and with what frequency. Pediatricians are an important doorway to the initial testing your child needs. Just do not expect them or any of the specialist you meet with to be knowledgeable about the real causes of autism or to know that there are effective treatment options.

Speech/language pathologist – If your child has limited language skills for their age, a session with a licensed speech pathologist is in order. This individual can assess both the receptive and expressive components of your child’s language abilities and at the end of the evaluation, should be able to give you a general estimate of where your child is at with regard to speech development.

Developmental pediatrician – Developmental pediatricians specialize in diagnosing and treating developmental disorders like autism.

Pediatric neurologist – Pediatric neurologists specialize in diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders like autism, epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases, headaches, developmental delays, behaviour and learning problems in children. They specialize in the study of the physical workings of nervous system (brain and nerves of the body) and how it functions. As a specialty, they are well placed to be an important part of an ASD treatment team. They will administer tests to diagnose seizures, convulsions or other serious nervous system malfunctions associated with autism and may prescribe drugs to treat these problems.

Neuropsychologist – Neuropsychology combines the study of neuroscience (how the nervous system works) with the study of mental processes and behaviour. This includes the study of cognition, which describes how we think, acquire language, solve problems, and how our memory works. Neuropsychologists can be a very important part of the ASD team. You might receive the ASD diagnosis from them and they may be the professional who can best document your child’s problems and progress. They will probably be the ones to administer and interpret the language and cognition tests your child will take.

Behavioural psychologist – Behavioural psychologists specialize in diagnosis and treatment of behaviour problems. They may be very helpful in documenting and solving problems with your autistic child’s behaviour at home or in school.

Audiologist – Audiologists study hearing and sound processing (how our ears and brains work together to interpret sounds). You may see an audiologist to document your child’s hearing early on and may receive clinical services such as auditory integration training (AIT) if they have a particular problem with sound sensitivity.

Physical therapist – Physical therapists are a very important part of the autism treatment team. They can assess specific problems with strength and coordination that your autistic child almost certainly has, and target therapies to work on these problem areas. They can also help you identify and purchase specialized equipment for your child. This might include pressure jackets (to provide comforting body pressure), protective gear and exercise equipment.

Occupational therapist – Pediatric occupational therapists specialize in diagnosis and treatment of problems with activities children do in everyday life. This includes walking, running, writing, sitting, catching and throwing. Good pediatric occupational therapy is presented in activities that are fun so kids want to participate. Our son looks forward to his OT visits and has had a very close relationship with the therapists, who he sees as friends.

As you make your way through this maze of physicians and therapists, remember that they are members of YOUR team. If you find one who does not seem to know anything about the causes of autism or that it can be treated, this is not necessarily a reason to drop them. However, if they have a condescending attitude towards you and your leadership of the team, we suggest not wasting your time or energy trying to convince them. Make sure they understand that you want a copy of the final report be sent to your pediatrician and to you personally. Make careful note of the specialists direct contact information and ask when you should receive the report.

Children with autism or other ASDs have no time to lose. They need an accurate diagnosis to get the services they will require, and you probably need the diagnosis to begin to take action to help them. Most importantly, they need effective treatment. The specialists we have described are probably great doctors, but unless you are very lucky, they will not know how to diagnose the underlying problems that have led to your child’s problems or how to treat this disease. This is why YOU need to take the lead in helping your child. The information you need is available in the eBook Conquer Autism

Read more free autism articles on this website:

Understanding Autism / Autism Causes-Toxic Heavy Metals / Autism Diagnosis and Evaluation / Signs and Symptoms-Play / Signs and Symptoms-Language Problems / Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) / Indications for Immediate Evaluation / Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) / After the Diagnosis / Conquer Autism Chapter Summary

Purchase the Conquer Autism eBook with all this information and much more.