It is very difficult to be sure that a person has autism. It is a tricky condition to diagnose because there is no one thing that all children with autism have. It is not like having chicken pox, where all children have itchy spots. Instead, doctors have to study what a child has been like from birth onwards. It is important that autism is recognized as early in a person’s life as possible. Then with proper support, they can learn how to deal with any difficulties they have and to make the most of the thing they are good at. How ever, sometimes people don’t like the idea of being told that there is something different about their kid. They may be afraid that other people will call names because of their child’s condition. However it is important to find out what is wrong so something can be done to help.

Imagine that someone can’t see very well, and they do not want to go to the optician because they don’t want to wear glasses. Without glasses they will miss out on so much and life will be much more difficult for them. This i the same with autism. Once autism is diagnosed, children and their families can be given the support they need to make the most of their lives.

Doctors and health visitors may spot early symptoms of autism when parents bring their children in for routine health checks. The doctors watch how the autistic child react in lots of different situations. Early signs of autism that they look for include the child not responding when their name is called, not looking at people when they talk to them, and copying other people. Doctors may also do tests to rule out other conditions that may make the child behave in similar ways.

Facts about Autism:

• Autism affects more boys than girls.
• Around one in every 100 people is affected by some form of autism.
• Usually, autism is something babies are born with.