How to Prepare for an Autism Assessment

Autism spectrum disorders are being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 150 children in the United States. As awareness grows of autism and the many ways it presents, parents are better prepared to question their child’s development. Concerned parents can broach the topic with their child’s pediatrician. The pediatrician may then refer the child to have an official autism assessment. It is important to prepare for the autism assessment. Here's how.

Things You'll Need

• Pen and Paper
• Phone

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Instructions

• 1

  Write down a detailed history of your pregnancy and birth experience. If you had any pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes or pre-term labor, make a note. If you took any medications during your pregnancy, list them. Also take notes on the birth and how your child was immediately after the birth. Include apgar scores, whether oxygen was needed and whether intensive or intermediate care was required.

• 2

  Make a list of when your child reached all of her major developmental milestones. This will vary depending on the age of your child, but you will want to note when your child first cooed, babbled and said her first word. Note your child’s motor-skill development, too—when the child rolled over, sat up, crawled, walked and ran for the first time.

• 3

  Obtain a copy of all of your child’s medical records. You will need to obtain records from the child’s pediatrician, as well as any specialists your child has seen. When the autism assessment is being given, the doctor may look at your child’s medical history for clues, as certain conditions are more prevalent among the autistic population.

• 4

  Get a copy of your child’s school records, if your child is in school. Most autism assessments occur when a child is quite young, but some forms of autism are not diagnosed until a child is a bit older. If your child’s teacher has mentioned concern, this information may come in handy during the autism assessment.

• 5

  Call the doctor’s office to find out if there are any additional forms to fill out. If you can obtain these forms in advance, you will be able to save time during the assessment.