Package diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders - children
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and its causes are not fully known. The disorder is not completely curable, but with therapy its effects can be reduced, significantly improving the quality of life for those affected.
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Diagnostic pathway
In order to benefit from autism diagnosis, you need to:
- Have a psychological consultation with the specialist with whom we plan to perform the diagnosis.
- After the psychological consultation, the patient should perform a diagnosis of intellect.
- After completing the above steps, the patient can proceed with the diagnosis of autism.
What is autism?
Autism is a neurological developmental disorder. Its exact causes are not fully known, but potential contributing factors include genetics, gene mutations, low birth weight, hypoxia at birth and older age of parents. Autism is more often diagnosed in boys than in girls. Symptoms appear as early as childhood and actually last for the rest of life. It is characterized by a child's lack of response to commands, lack of play with peers, difficulty expressing emotions or communicating with both gestures and speech. Autism is understood as a spectrum, which means that it runs differently in each person. People with diagnoses on the autism spectrum have varying degrees of behaviors and traits resulting from autism.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of autism is made using the ADOS-2 test, which is considered a standard and respected diagnostic instrument for identifying autism spectrum disorders. This test focuses on observing the behavior of children, adolescents and adults, and can determine whether symptoms of autism are present and to what degree compared to the norm for a given age group.
ADOS-2 consists of five independent modules tailored to different age groups, starting at 12 months of age and continuing through adulthood. During the diagnostic test, behaviors related to social communication, play and repetitive behaviors that are characteristic of autism are observed. The duration of the test ranges from 40 to 60 minutes, and the choice of the appropriate module depends on the age and ability of the test subject.
The ADOS-2 test can be administered to children, adolescents and adults with suspected autism, whether from parents, the school environment or doctors. It is also an option for adults who suspect Asperger's Syndrome in themselves and want to verify the diagnosis.
To ensure a reliable diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, MindHealth Mental Health Centers uses the gold standard of diagnosis, which includes a detailed ADI-R developmental interview, a diagnosis of cognitive abilities and the ADOS-2 test. Once the diagnosis is completed, the diagnostician discusses the findings, and the cost of the ADOS-2 test includes a psychological opinion that summarizes the entire psychological diagnosis, analysis of test results and recommendations. This opinion complies with the regulations for special education evaluations.