Autism
As a parent you may be worried about your child’s development. You, or someone close to you, may have noticed that your child’s speech is delayed, or that they seem to be ‘aloof’ or ‘detached’ from you. There can be many reasons for a child’s development being delayed. One of those could be the presence of an Autism Spectrum Disorder such as Asperger’s Syndrome.
If your child has a developmental delay and is suspected of having an Autism Spectrum Disorder you are strongly advised to have your child assessed.
Several professionals will be involved in the assessment. They will include a doctor (paediatrician and/or a child psychiatrist), a psychologist and a speech pathologist. It is important that they are experienced with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Victoria, these professionals may be part of a public Autism Spectrum Disorder assessment team (free of charge), or they may be in private practice (fees are payable). At PS Counselling, our Psychologists are experienced with assessing Autism Spectrum Disorders. PS Counselling is a private practice, so fees apply.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is not diagnosed using biological tests, such as a blood test. Your child will be assessed using objective and subjective observations involving:
- a developmental history
- cognitive testing
- speech and language testing
- behavioural observations
Once the assessment has been completed the team will decide if your child meets the criteria for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The assessment team will also explain to you their specific diagnosis, or where your child fits on the spectrum.
Although diagnoses of Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder can be frightening and confusing for parents, Psychologists can work with your child in a series of regular counselling sessions to make an enormous difference to their social skills psychological development, and to educate the family on how best to support their child.
See our “Useful Links” page to find out more about Autism.