So, we’ve covered a bit about what Autism Spectrum Disorder is. If you’ve missed the blog post, check out our previous post! Now let’s talk about early identification! Autism is increasingly prevalent in our world today. Rates continue to increase due to awareness by both parents and practitioners and better diagnostic assessment tools. With all of these factors flying around, it’s important for everyone to have some understanding of what to look for, when, and what to do about it.
Early identification means that you can make a plan for helping your child right away and that outcomes will be significantly different by doing so. Research by Barbarol et al., states, "it has been shown that only 8% of children who received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at 2 years of age had comorbid Intellectual Disability (ID) when followed up at 9 years, while almost a quarter (24%) of those who received the diagnosis between 3- and 5- years were found to have co-morbid ID." Beginning treatment early is considered best practice because therapy for young children takes advantage of neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience. This malleability is greater in the early years of life because there are more synapses while the child grows, but as an adult this number drops significantly. So, by giving your child experiences that enhance their learning, their brain is able to adapt for life.
Now for the nuts and bolts:
What to look for – Research suggests that abnormalities can be detected as young as 9 months old. This isn’t true for every child with autism; remember there is no one-size-fits-all! Typical things to look out for are less eye contact or interest in faces, less speech (particularly around 18 months of age), sensory sensitivities or repetitive play, like lining up cars or playing with same item or in the same way. This is just a snapshot of a few things to look out for and certainly not an exhaustive list. If you’re a first-time mother, it may make it harder to notice differences because you don’t have a comparison. If your child is enrolled in an early education centre, you can always ask the educators their opinion. If you have a concern or many concerns, it’s best to speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
When should I seek help – As stated above, begin right away when you notice concerns. Early identification is key to getting lifechanging early intervention immediately.
Who you can talk to – If you are worried about your child, you can speak to a GP, paediatrician or other health care professional. Paeds can be difficult to come by with long wait times and if you have concerns, it may be easier and/or quicker to get into an allied health professional or other early interventionist that can offer you some guidance on next steps.
How can you identify – Usually a health care professional is your first port of call. They may recommend your child undergo a diagnostic assessment or you can get one on your own if you feel there’s enough troubling you. If you’re wanting quick answers, you can try the ASDetect app on your phone which has a high rate of successful prediction of Autism. More on that in our last post.
That’s all for today folks! If you have any more questions, we’ve got a range of backgrounds to lean on at Kindred Kids and are happy to have a chat at any time about your concerns! We are also hosting a free webinar for recognising developmental delays, some tips on what to do, and an action plan of how to gain access to early intervention on 13 June! Follow this link to register: https://meet.zoho.com.au/vWn2A6ei8C
Reference:
Barbaro1 J., Masi A., Gilbert M., Nair R., Abdullahi I., Descallar J., Dissanayake1 C., Eastwood J., Hasan I., Jalaludin B., Karlov L., Khan F., Kohlhoff J., Liaw S.T., Lingam R., Mendoza Diaz A., Ong N., Wah Michael Tam, C., Unwin K., Woolfenden S., and Eapen V. (2021) A Multistate Trial of an Early Surveillance Program for Autism Within General Practices in Australia. Frontiers in Paedatrics, 9. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.640359/full
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