According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autistic Spectrum Disorders occur in 1 out of every 68 children.
Being a parent seeking help for your child with an autistic spectrum disorder can be a very overwhelming experience. The challenge you face is to decide how to best help your child given the myriad of choices out there.
What is the best way to help your child?
There is no single approach that works for all individuals, The most effective approaches address the whole child, while empowering and supporting the family.
No two individuals present with the same symptoms or situation. Consequently, what may be effective for one child may not work for another. It takes a skilled practitioner to thoroughly assess an individual within the various settings that child functions within and create an approach that meets that child’s need as well as those of the family.
Our approach to autistic spectrum disorders can include:
- comprehensive diagnostic assessment
- supporting the child and family
- relationship based interventions
- behavioral approaches
- social skills development
- consultation to schools
- Case management to help connect to and work with other providers. We have established a partnership with By Your Side, an autism therapy services company with offices around the Chicago area
Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment
Through a highly specialized assessment process, we can identify your child’s areas of deficit, obtain the proper diagnosis, and recommend the most effective intervention plan. Within this evaluation, we often include the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule- Second Edition (ADOS-2), considered a “gold standard” screening tool to observe the diagnostic behaviors of autism spectrum disorder. This screening tool is designed for children ages 12 months and up, and for individuals of all language functioning abilities, including non-verbal individuals. Each parent will receive a comprehensive report during a feedback session with an ASD assessment specialist, in which treatment recommendations are provided to create a clear path toward growth, development, and support.
Therefore, if your child struggles with social communication and social interaction, and/or restricted, repetitive patterns that inhibit success at home, school, or in social situations, an evaluation may help uncover the cause. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are varying and often present differently across individuals. Examples of such symptoms may include lacking social-emotional reciprocity skills, such as typical back-and-forth communication, initiating and responding in conversation, or sharing interests or emotions with others. Children within this spectrum may demonstrate repetitive motor movements or speech, insistence on the sameness of routine or difficulty with flexibility, and heightened distress at small changes or transitions. They may also have rigid thought patterns, can be highly fixated on interests with unusual intensity or focus, and may be over or under-stimulated by sensory input in the environment such as temperature, pain, visual, auditory, scent, or tactile preoccupation or sensitivity.
Though many factors that contribute to the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are brain-based and out of our control, there are several factors that indicate positive outcomes that are within our control. These factors include parent involvement, early evaluation and diagnosis, individualized intervention, adequate school support, and community support. As a parent or caretaker who is seeking knowledge and an assessment, you are already contributing to your child’s growth and achievement. The next step toward positive outcomes is a comprehensive evaluation.
