Editorial #223: How to diagnose ASDs.

Autism Politico wants to share with its readers something that it read on the US CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-screening.html Now, usually we embed the link within the context of the post, but not this time. We want people to see the link, click on the link, bookmark the link. As you will see, the process is long and extensive, and it is broken down on the CDC page:

Screening Recommendations

Developmental Screening in Pediatric and Primary Care Practice

Developmental Screening Tools

Diagnostic Tools

You’ll find lots of screening tools and diagnostic tools, as well as a lengthy explanation about why a diagnosis sometimes takes many different specialists observing the prospective autistics over a number of years.

The CDC also makes this statement regarding people in school who diagnose a child with autism:

Developmental screening can be done by a number of professionals in health care, community, and school settings. However, primary health care providers are in a unique position to promote children’s developmental health. 

Alternatively, you can ignore what the CDC says, join some web forum that claims to be populated by autistics, compare yourself to people who have never been diagnosed, and pretend you’re autistic, just like them.

Which would you rather do? And what does it say about you if you choose the second option?

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

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