Does My Child Need A Referral For An Autism Assessment?

Ok, so the number one question that I have been asked by parents in my nearly a decade of Assessing, Diagnosing and Supporting people with Autism is, “How do I know if my child needs a referral for an Autism assessment?”. This can be very confusing for most parents who want to know how to better support their child. So, in this article, we’re going to help clarify some key areas that you should be aware of if you think you require a referral for an Autism Assessment. 

 

 

Warning: This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be used as a diagnostic tool.

 

Don't have time to read this article? Don't worry, here's a quick 2 minute video that you can watch. 

 

 

 

Want a FREE CLINICAL APPOINTMENT? Why not book onto one of CareGen’s free appointment with a Trained Autism Specialist by clicking here.

 

 

Social Communication Difficulties

 

So, the first thing to look out for is., how does your child communicate with you socially? This doesn’t necessarily mean verbal communication but also non-verbal communication.  Do they initiate conversation with you, or do they ask you follow up questions on your trail of thought? These are examples of verbal social communication and if you have noticed that your child may not be engaging in this, then it may be time to seek further support. In addition, when they do communicate with yourself, do they use non-verbal communication skills to show that they are engaging in the conversation? Examples of this are things like giving eye contact or nodding their head to show that they are still participating in the conversation. If this is something that you’re worried about, then why not book to speak to a trained Autism specialist FOR FREE by clicking here.

 

 

Social Interaction Difficulties 

 

Now this could mean a lot of things, however in my experience, parents usually notice if their child is having difficulties developing and maintaining friendships at an early age. Some concerns could be that your child isn’t particularly interested in other children their age and much prefer being left alone. However, other parents may notice that their child attempts to make friends but struggle to develop these friendships further which leads to these relationships fizzling out. If this is something that you are experiencing with your child, then it may be time to seek further support.

 

 

Rigidity and inflexibility of thought

 

We could write an entire blog post about this section; however, we’ll give you a quick run-down. Examples of difficulties within this area could be that your child likes things done in a specific way and can become quite distressed if this isn’t done. This also expands to your child having a set routine and may get very upset if this is changed suddenly. Again, if you notice that you’re child has a strong need for things to be the same, then it may be time to seek support to better understand how to support them.

 

 

So, the question now is, “What do I do now that I think my child needs a referral”. If this is you, then why not book onto one of CareGen’s FREE CLINICAL APPOINTMENTS to speak with an Autism Specialist to see how we can help you.  You can do so by clicking here.