Hi guys! April is Autism Awareness month! For those of you who know me, you know I have 3 boys who have been diagnosed on the spectrum. It is a strange and interesting life! You never know what amazing ( and not necessarily true) facts will come popping out of someones mouth. I would love to thank all of my wonderful family and friends for their posts, especially my daughters friends who have shown tolerance, support and affection. I couldn't have picked better or more loyal friends for her myself!
Here is a checklist you can print out to take with you to a dr.'s appt. if you have a toddler or know someone who does! There is no cure for autism, however early intervention can help modify the severity of autism. Keep in mind that as with any disorder, disease or illness it is easy to say, I have that symptom, I have this symptom and that one...OMG I must have cervical cancer!(Yet you are a male...which is possible, but that is a whole other ball of wax!)
If you have any concerns please feel free to call me! I know resources and people...and people who know people!
Another item to keep in mind is that a child may only show diminished symptoms...that is also a cause for concern, because as milestones are missed the severity can increase.
REMEMBER EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEY!!!
There is a checklist for physicians to use to determine if a child is at risk of developing autism. CHAT, a Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, has 2 versions: the original and the modified version. We will list both here.
CHAT was developed by researchers, Baron and Cohen, in Britain and should not be used to diagnose autism. It is a screening tool to be used to identify at risk children who should then be referred to a specialist for a more in depth evaluation. It is a combination of asking the parents questions and also using the physicians own observations.
The modified version, M-CHAT was created by researchers at the University of Connecticut Department of Psychology. It is a questionnaire for parents that is an expanded version of the original. The M-CHAT has a total of 23 questions to be answered, using the same first 9 questions as the original CHAT test. It was used to screen 1,293 children and of the 58 children identified as at risk who were given a diagnostic/developmental evaluation, 39 were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
CHAT
This test is to be used by physicians at a child's 18 month check up.
Section A - Ask Parent:
Yes or No
A1) Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee?
A2) Does your child take an interest in other children?
A3) Does your child like climbing on things, such as up stairs?
A4) Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek?
A5) Does your child ever pretend, for example, to make a cup of tea using a tea cup and teapot, or pretend other things?
A6) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something?
A7) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something?
A8) Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g. cars or bricks) without just mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them?
A9) Does your child ever bring objects over to you, to show you something?
Section B - GP's Observation
Yes or No
i) During the appointment, has the child made eye contact with you?
ii) Get child's attention, then point across the room at an interesting object and say "Oh look! There's a (name a toy!" Watch the child's face. Does the child look across to see what you are pointing at? * NOTE - To record yes on this item, ensure the child has not simply looked at your hand, but has actually looked at the object you are pointing at.iii) Get the child's attention, then give a miniature toy cup and teapot and say "Can you make a cup of tea?" Does the child pretend to pour out the tea, drink it, etc.? * NOTE - If you can elicit an example of pretending in some other game, score a yes on this item. iv) Say to the child "Where is the light?" or "Show me the light". Does the child point with his/her index finger at the light? * NOTE - Repeat this with "Where is the Teddy?" or some other unreachable object if the child does not understand the word "light". To record yes on this item, the child must have looked up at your face around the time of pointing.v) Can the child build a tower of bricks? (If so, how many?) (Number of bricks...)
There are 5 key items in the checklist. A5) dealing with pretend play
A7) Dealing with protodeclarative pointing
Bii) Following a point
Biii) Pretending
Biv) Producing a point
If a child fails all 5 of these key items, they have a high risk of developing autism.
Children who fail numbers A7 and Biv have a medium risk of developing autism.
Any child who fails the CHAT test should be rechecked again in one month to allow some slower developing children to catch up. If the child fails again, they should be referred to a specialist in diagnosing autism.
M-CHAT
Questionnaire
Please fill out the following about how your child USUALLY is. Please try to answer every question. If the behavior is rare (e.g., you have seen it once or twice), please answer as if the child does not do it.
YES or NO
1) Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee, etc.?
2) Does your child take an interest in other children?
3) Does your child like climbing on thing, such as up stairs?
4) Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek?
5) Does your child ever pretend, for example, to talk on the phone or take care of dolls or pretend other things?
6) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something?
7) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something?
8) Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g. cars or bricks) without just mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them?
9) Does your child ever bring objects over to you, to show you something?
10) Does your child look you in the eye for more than a second or two?
11) Does your child ever seem oversensitive to noise? (e.g., plugging ears)
12) Does your child smile in response to your face or your smile?
13) Does your child imitate you? (e.g., you make a face - will your child imitate it?)
14) Does your child respond to his/her name when you call?
15) If you point at a toy across the room, does your child look at it?
16) Does your child walk?
17) Does your child look at things you are looking at?
18) Does your child make unusual finger movements near his/her face?
19) Does your child try to attract your attention to his/her own activity?
20) Have you ever wondered if your child is deaf?
21) Does you child understand what people say?
22) Does your child sometimes stare at nothing or wander with no purpose?
23) Does your child look at your face to check your reaction when faced with something unfamiliar?
Six items pertaining to social relatedness and communication were found to have the best discriminability between children with and without an autism spectrum disorder. They are considered to be the critical questions.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS:
If the answer is NO to the following questions:
#2
#7
#9
#13
#14
#15
A child is determined to have failed the M-CHAT test if any 2 or more critical items are failed.
A child is also determined to have failed the test if any three items are failed.
Not all children who fail the M-CHAT will be diagnosed with autism. However, any child who fails the test should absolutely be more thoroughly evaluated by a specialist as soon as possible
Here is a checklist you can print out to take with you to a dr.'s appt. if you have a toddler or know someone who does! There is no cure for autism, however early intervention can help modify the severity of autism. Keep in mind that as with any disorder, disease or illness it is easy to say, I have that symptom, I have this symptom and that one...OMG I must have cervical cancer!(Yet you are a male...which is possible, but that is a whole other ball of wax!)
If you have any concerns please feel free to call me! I know resources and people...and people who know people!
Another item to keep in mind is that a child may only show diminished symptoms...that is also a cause for concern, because as milestones are missed the severity can increase.
REMEMBER EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEY!!!
There is a checklist for physicians to use to determine if a child is at risk of developing autism. CHAT, a Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, has 2 versions: the original and the modified version. We will list both here.
CHAT was developed by researchers, Baron and Cohen, in Britain and should not be used to diagnose autism. It is a screening tool to be used to identify at risk children who should then be referred to a specialist for a more in depth evaluation. It is a combination of asking the parents questions and also using the physicians own observations.
The modified version, M-CHAT was created by researchers at the University of Connecticut Department of Psychology. It is a questionnaire for parents that is an expanded version of the original. The M-CHAT has a total of 23 questions to be answered, using the same first 9 questions as the original CHAT test. It was used to screen 1,293 children and of the 58 children identified as at risk who were given a diagnostic/developmental evaluation, 39 were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
CHAT
This test is to be used by physicians at a child's 18 month check up.
Section A - Ask Parent:
Yes or No
A1) Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee?
A2) Does your child take an interest in other children?
A3) Does your child like climbing on things, such as up stairs?
A4) Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek?
A5) Does your child ever pretend, for example, to make a cup of tea using a tea cup and teapot, or pretend other things?
A6) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something?
A7) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something?
A8) Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g. cars or bricks) without just mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them?
A9) Does your child ever bring objects over to you, to show you something?
Section B - GP's Observation
Yes or No
i) During the appointment, has the child made eye contact with you?
ii) Get child's attention, then point across the room at an interesting object and say "Oh look! There's a (name a toy!" Watch the child's face. Does the child look across to see what you are pointing at? * NOTE - To record yes on this item, ensure the child has not simply looked at your hand, but has actually looked at the object you are pointing at.iii) Get the child's attention, then give a miniature toy cup and teapot and say "Can you make a cup of tea?" Does the child pretend to pour out the tea, drink it, etc.? * NOTE - If you can elicit an example of pretending in some other game, score a yes on this item. iv) Say to the child "Where is the light?" or "Show me the light". Does the child point with his/her index finger at the light? * NOTE - Repeat this with "Where is the Teddy?" or some other unreachable object if the child does not understand the word "light". To record yes on this item, the child must have looked up at your face around the time of pointing.v) Can the child build a tower of bricks? (If so, how many?) (Number of bricks...)
There are 5 key items in the checklist. A5) dealing with pretend play
A7) Dealing with protodeclarative pointing
Bii) Following a point
Biii) Pretending
Biv) Producing a point
If a child fails all 5 of these key items, they have a high risk of developing autism.
Children who fail numbers A7 and Biv have a medium risk of developing autism.
Any child who fails the CHAT test should be rechecked again in one month to allow some slower developing children to catch up. If the child fails again, they should be referred to a specialist in diagnosing autism.
M-CHAT
Questionnaire
Please fill out the following about how your child USUALLY is. Please try to answer every question. If the behavior is rare (e.g., you have seen it once or twice), please answer as if the child does not do it.
YES or NO
1) Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee, etc.?
2) Does your child take an interest in other children?
3) Does your child like climbing on thing, such as up stairs?
4) Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek?
5) Does your child ever pretend, for example, to talk on the phone or take care of dolls or pretend other things?
6) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something?
7) Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something?
8) Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g. cars or bricks) without just mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them?
9) Does your child ever bring objects over to you, to show you something?
10) Does your child look you in the eye for more than a second or two?
11) Does your child ever seem oversensitive to noise? (e.g., plugging ears)
12) Does your child smile in response to your face or your smile?
13) Does your child imitate you? (e.g., you make a face - will your child imitate it?)
14) Does your child respond to his/her name when you call?
15) If you point at a toy across the room, does your child look at it?
16) Does your child walk?
17) Does your child look at things you are looking at?
18) Does your child make unusual finger movements near his/her face?
19) Does your child try to attract your attention to his/her own activity?
20) Have you ever wondered if your child is deaf?
21) Does you child understand what people say?
22) Does your child sometimes stare at nothing or wander with no purpose?
23) Does your child look at your face to check your reaction when faced with something unfamiliar?
Six items pertaining to social relatedness and communication were found to have the best discriminability between children with and without an autism spectrum disorder. They are considered to be the critical questions.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS:
If the answer is NO to the following questions:
#2
#7
#9
#13
#14
#15
A child is determined to have failed the M-CHAT test if any 2 or more critical items are failed.
A child is also determined to have failed the test if any three items are failed.
Not all children who fail the M-CHAT will be diagnosed with autism. However, any child who fails the test should absolutely be more thoroughly evaluated by a specialist as soon as possible
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