A Parent’s Journey
As a seasoned professional who has dedicated my career to providing support to people with disabilities, I thought I knew exactly what to do when my 18-month old child began showing early signs of autism. The words, “early intervention is critical” resounded in my mind, a message that had been engrained throughout my education and career. I knew the fastest way to provide my son with early intervention services was to get an evaluation. After contacting about 20 autism evaluators, one thing was clear: It would take at least a year for my son to receive an evaluation.
Early Signs of Autism
Perhaps the most discussed early sign of autism is avoidance of eye contact. I believe this autism marker has gained notoriety because it is the earliest sign a child may have autism. It is not a definitive indication of whether or not a child has autism. In fact, there is not a singular sign that indicates the presence or absence of autism. Instead, a collection of different signs is considered.
Some of the most common signs a person may benefit from an autism evaluation (in addition to avoidance of eye contact) are delayed speaking/babbling, lack of response to hearing name, limited interest in joint activities, making repetitive sounds, stereotypy (e.g., hand flapping, spinning, rocking), limited interests, difficulty adjusting to routine changes, difficulty sleeping, selective eating, and intense reactions to noises, textures, or other sensory sensations.
Adolescents and Adults
Autism— it’s not just for toddlers. While the core autism categories (communication, social prowess, and repetitive behavior) remain, adolescents and adults generally experience autism differently than children. For example, communicating effectively could be more difficult in high stress times than for those without autism. Some social challenges might include difficulty maintaining romantic and interpersonal relationships, understanding others’ emotions and/or sarcasm, obtaining and maintaining employment, and achieving academic success (even when course concepts are easily understood). Behaviorally, instead of hand-flapping and spinning, adolescents and adults may perseverate on thoughts or events, experience binary (black and white) thinking patterns, and/or find comfort with certain textures (e.g., stress ball, clothing fabric). Every person experiences these symptoms to some extent. These symptoms may indicate autism when they interfere with a person’s day-to-day life.
Before and During an Evaluation
Autism evaluations consider an array of factors before determining whether someone has autism. Typically, questionnaire-style assessments are sent to the person receiving an evaluation and/or the person’s caregivers. These assessments provide valuable insight into the day-to-day experience which may not be observed during direct assessments. On evaluation day, the evaluator asks a series of questions and/or establishes a variety of hypothetical situations to assess the way in which a person processes information. Generally, the direct evaluation lasts between 60-90 minutes.
Interpreting the Evaluation Report
Most of the time, the results of an autism evaluation will be explained to the person and/or the person’s caregivers by a knowledgeable professional. While the range of assessment results is too wide to include in one blog post, the evaluation report will include one of four possible outcomes: 1) Autism Level 1: Requiring Support, 2) Autism Level 2: Requiring Substantial Support, 3) Autism Level 3: Requiring Very Substantial Support, or 4) No autism detected.
My Next Chapter
I was fortunate to find a new company that was able to evaluate my child for autism within two weeks. As I suspected, my child was diagnosed with autism. There is no “correct” way to process news that your child has autism. Every emotion is valid. My family and I are saddened by the lost time my son could have been receiving services, grateful a new company emerged that provides timely assessment with minimal waiting time, and excited my son can finally receive the support he needs.
