At what point should parents take their child to be screened & where should they go?

Host: At what point should parents take their child to be screened and where should they go?

Peggy Halliday: As soon as parents become worried they should take their child for screening, they shouldn t wait. They should start by going to their own pediatrician or nurse practitioner and I will encourage parents to be a very specific about why they are concerned. I would say -- my six month old doesn t smile at me or my eighteen month old is not pointing when I want her to look at something that I am excited about or these are the milestones that my baby has not reached.

If your pediatrician or nurse practitioner either is not concerned or is not comfortable, it is tempting to allow yourself to be reassured, but if you really have some concerns I would not allow yourself to be reassured, because research shows that parents, when parents are concerned about there being a problem they are usually right.

So, I would trust your instincts on this and I would find a developmental pediatrician or perhaps a pediatric neurologist who has a lot of experience in working with children with autism spectrum disorders and who feels really comfortable making that diagnoses and that s where I would go and I would look for a professional who has a reputation for being proactive and aggressive about treatment once that diagnosis is made as well.