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The importance of early diagnosis of autism
Early detection and diagnosis of autism can never be overemphasized. It can go a long way in transforming autistic children into neurotypical children. Many autistic children are placed on a waiting list and miss out on early behavioral interventions and other benefits because professionals often refuse to provide early diagnosis. Autism was until recently considered a lifelong disability and repeated in almost all definitions of the disease. Diagnosis was therefore intentionally delayed even when all symptoms were present. The reason was to ensure that the children were stable at the time of diagnosis and did not change over time. In many cases there was a delay...
The importance of early diagnosis of autism
Early detection and diagnosis of autism can never be overemphasized. It can go a long way in transforming autistic children into neurotypical children.
Many autistic children are placed on a waiting list and miss out on early behavioral interventions and other benefits because professionals often refuse to provide early diagnosis.
Autism was until recently considered a lifelong disability and repeated in almost all definitions of the disease. Diagnosis was therefore intentionally delayed even when all symptoms were present. The reason was to ensure that the children were stable at the time of diagnosis and did not change over time. In many cases, diagnosis was delayed for years.
Recently, there has been increasing evidence negating the belief that autism is lifelong. Studies have shown that many children diagnosed with autism no longer require therapy and no longer meet diagnostic criteria.
A recent data analysis of 18,500 autistic children found that those diagnosed five years ago were more likely to have developmental and health problems when they were barely nine months old than those who were not on the autism spectrum. By age three, the children had more communication, motor and sensory problems and worsened social and emotional health.
Various studies of children with autistic siblings have confirmed findings about the importance and appropriateness of early diagnosis. These children are considered vulnerable to autism and many of them showed signs such as lack of social engagement and repetitive behaviors.
Several studies have highlighted the deleterious long-term outcome of a late autism diagnosis and the lack of immediate intervention. Most adults with autism who were not diagnosed until the age of six have a largely constant IQ over the age of 40. Almost a quarter of these adults cannot be assessed because they do not develop language skills beyond those of three-year-olds and also engage in self-harming and aggressive behaviors. This is diametrically opposed to the results of early applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy carried out in the USA.
The prevalence of autism in the United States among 12-year-olds is around 3.5 percent. ABA therapy is not always available. What chances do these children have when they turn 40?
Most autistic children grow into adults with autism and the challenges increase as the years go by. Much needs to be done to improve their skills and improve their quality of life through early diagnosis and intensive care. Delaying diagnosis due to outdated and poorly justified ideas is no longer an option.
Inspired by Kalpesh Z Makwana