One of the hardest issues for parents of an autistic child is finding out if their child actually has autism. Though the current diagnostic standards require that children show some deficits before the age of three, many parents have suspicions much earlier in their child’s development (check out current DSM criteria). In fact, early detection of autistic symptoms is so prevalent that current revisions of the DSM have removed the use of a specific age, replacing it with this statement: Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities) (check out the proposed revisions for the new DSM). The reason for this change is important. Many of the stereotypical deficits seen in autism can be hard to notice, or even nonexistent in young children. For example, many children with autism exhibit some difficulty with communication and language production. By three years old, little to no use of language is a serious sign of autism. And yet, there is nothing peculiar about a one year old with limited to no speech. So how do we know what to look for and when to start looking if we suspect there may be a problem?

The truth is, the earlier we can intervene with a child with autism, the better. Early interventions have proved quite influential in creating a better prognosis in the long run. In fact, some intervention programs have been shown to provide preschoolers with a 20 point increase in IQ score when enforced 30-40 hours a week for 1-4 years. (Read more about these interventions and more in the Landa article) Other intervention programs have found successful ways to facilitate communication in children with little speech. The Picture Exchange Communication System teaches children how to use cards of pictures to communicate what they want. The benefits of intervention are obvious, but the question still remains, how do we know when it’s time to start using them?

As the Landa article explains, many parents who suspect that something might be wrong with their child are told by their physicians to initiate the famous “wait and see” technique. This can be a serious problem because it puts parents in an especially difficult situation. No parent wants to diagnose their typically developing child with autism, and yet delaying early intervention to a child that ends up receiving a diagnosis can be just as painful. Landa discusses some “red flags” that parents can keep an eye out for when suspecting autism. These include things like lack of response to name, repetitive body movements, and lack of showing. Many of these signs can be helpful, but they can also just induce worry in parents, as many kids grow out of these behaviors.

So long story short, there is no answer. Basically all we can really say is that the earlier a child enters intervention, the better. As for deciding if a child even needs intervention, well that’s left to the parents to decide. Many parents may err towards safety and get their child help, even if they are not sure it’s necessary. Others, with less education about autism or without the money to pay for such extensive (and, let’s be honest, expensive) interventions, may decide to wait until they are sure. Current research is trying its hardest to establish some early diagnostic criteria, but this proves to be a difficult and tedious task. As for now, we have to depend on parents to know where to draw the line of what’s typical development and what isn’t. There is no right answer, and there is definitely no easy answer.