Expert: James Michael Roan - 12/10/2005

Question
Hello. I knew that my son wasn't talking as much or as well as other children his age, so I decided to have him evaluated for early intervention when he turned 3. I was never concerned about how he interacts with others and just assumed he was a late talker or a late bloomer. I was shocked when the school district's evaluation team concluded that he's on the autism spectrum. They gave him a score of 22 on the ADOS. I have since done a lot of reasearch on autism and am having a difficult time accepting this dx because my son doesn't demonstrate most of the classic symptoms of autism I'm reading about. I know I need a 2nd opinion and have scheduled an appointment with his pediatrician to discuss which specialists and which tests to seek now. He will be integrated into a prescool class in which about 1/2 of the children have special education needs and the other does not, but his IEP has not yet been written. What is your advice, and am I on the right track?  

Answer
Dear Martinez;

You are on the right track. You definitely want to pursue a clear diagnosis for your son from a team trained in this area. Look into a children's hospital or autism unit of a nearby university to confirm the diagnosis. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.

Kind Regards,
James