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The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Diagnostic Team at Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) describes Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. Autism Spectrum Disorders are neurological disorders, which means that they affect the functioning of the brain. Usually first diagnosed in childhood, it is estimated that approximately 1 in every 88 children in the US is diagnosed with autism. It is three to four times more prevalent in boys than in girls, but the severity of its symptoms is different in each person.
Research indicates that the earlier a child is diagnosed with ASD, the better his prognosis in all the areas of delay. For that reason, Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A. offers an inter-disciplinary autism evaluation clinic for children ages 2 to 5. Whether a child is exposed to English as a first language or not, the staff at Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A. is equipped to provide the inter-disciplinary assessment within four weeks of the first call from the child’s parents. This service is available to families living in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.
The process of ruling out Autism Spectrum Disorder can be an overwhelming one for a family, especially when it comes to finding out which expert to consult with, and how to best handle conflicting information. At Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A., we bring together experts from many disciplines as a team to conduct the ASD evaluations for preschoolers. Once the evaluation is completed, all findings and recommendations are integrated in a single report and explained to the parents in an concise way.
The treatment of autism generally addresses behavioral and learning skills. They also include intensive skill-building and special training and support for parents, speech and language therapy, and/or social skills training; therefore a diagnostic team should be able to establish baseline in all areas in order to make adequate treatment recommendations. At Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A. our diagnostic team includes a psychologist, a speech pathologist, a clinical social worker and a special education consultant who specializes in working with preschoolers.
Autism Spectrum Disorders according to the APA is a lifelong disorder in most cases, although there are more and more cases of children with ASD who are eventually able to function independently and lead full lives. Please contact our office should your child ages 2 to 5 exhibit one or a combination of the following characteristics, which are often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders:
1) Communication problems – difficulty using or understanding
2) Difficulty relating to people, things and events – trouble making friends
and interacting with people; difficulty reading facial expressions, may not make eye contact.
3) Repetitive body movements or behaviors – hand flapping or repeating
sounds or phrases.
