Undiagnosed Children's Awareness Day 2024 is on Saturday, April 13, 2024: Is there a diagnostic test for Autism?

Saturday, April 13, 2024 is Undiagnosed Children's Awareness Day 2024. Resources for 'Undiagnosed Children's Awareness Day' Childrens.Awareness.Day.2013

There are many diagnostic tests for Autism. A common one that comes to mind is called the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). A diagnosis of autism is made by a professional by observing the child's behavior and by obtaining a developmental history from the child's parent's or guardians. People with autism are very frequently mis-diagnosed, although these days, there is greater awareness of the condition.

Regarding having a child with autism, although it is challenging I'm certain (but raising any child is as well), they can be some of the most loving, creative, logical, and delightful children! I am a special education teacher, and the students that I have had in my class with autism have made teaching very exciting and joyful.

You may want to share some success stories about people with autism. Do an internet search for names like Temple Grandin (a college professor), Jerry Newport (an author), and Valerie Paradiz (another PhD). Many of these individuals view their autism spectrum conditions as key factors in their success in their fields.

The following articles may also be helpful. Best of luck to you and thank you for taking a stand for kids with Autism!

"The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria" ~ What if Asperger’s Syndrome was defined by its strengths? -

"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm -

Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. -

Positively Autism (free online magazine, includes free resources/activities) -

Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. -

when will we wake up as a society to chnge the way we are hurting ourselves?

I have a problem with the "E" word used in relation to autism. Autism is not an epidemic by definition or by prevalence. It is a term used for infectious diseases which autism is not. Secondly, it is a term used for a sharp unexpected increase. Since the diagnostic criteria has been broadened recently, it was expected to rise as it has. We are now seeing a leveling off and true reflection of ASDs as more people who were previously excluded are now included in the spectrum. The rate of increase is consistent throughout all ages. In other words, it's not just something new happening to children. Adults who were previously undiagnosed are falling on to the spectrum and their rates are increasing consistent with that of children. While I agree that most people could stand to learn more about autism, it hurts our efforts if we are crying wolf (epidemic) constantly when there isn't one. Scaremongering is not as effective as properly educating folks on what autism is and more importantly, what it isn't.

I am also curious as to what you mean when you say it is important to figure out how to prevent autism. Would you like to see autistics prevented? How would that be achieved-through prenatal screening and abortions? Not long ago, prevention was a priority for Down's syndrome and as a result, 90% of them never get a shot at life despite drastically improved quality of life for them. Tell me how that benefits the self esteem of those with Downs. Is it the right message to tell people they should have been prevented? That's exactly what you are telling people with ASDs and we wonder why some older adolescents on the spectrum turn violent and rebel against everything. If you're told from day one that you are defective or less than human, it's considered racist if it's against another ethnic group but totally acceptable if it's directed at the disabled. That's where our real problems lie-in our perceptions of those with disabilities.

As we go through another Autism Awareness month, we should try to see the world through the eyes of someone on the spectrum. The world is not built to accomodate them which makes their struggles all the more difficult. This is where pressure on the politicians should come from. There are plenty of autistics who do not wish to be cured. They just want many barriers removed that keep them from enjoying a full life. Autism is visible in every single aspect of my child's life. If he were "cured" from who he is, we would not be able to recognize him as he would become a different person. I do not want a different child. I want respect and acceptance for who he is.

Why do schools ignore the mental health of the students?

That's a really good point. It was interesting to look at it from your perspective.

I'm a young teacher (26) and bullying is something really important to me. I teach grade 7/8 learning disabled kids who are often the ones who will be the targets of bullying. Luckily my school is very strong on anti-bullying and we have some great kids, but I worry about what will happen when they go to high school. I talk to my kids about bullying all the time.

To answer your question, every teacher I know realizes that bullying and mental health are serious issues. While teachers can easily teach their students about these issues, it's very hard to deal with them as many kids are ashamed and don't want to talk about it. For example, the person you know who denied their problems with the guidance counselor needed help... But what does the counselor do if they deny their issues and don't want to talk about it? Guidance counselors want to help their kids, but how it's very hard to help a student (especially a teen) who doesn't want help. Kids/teens with issues are masters at hiding their feelings too. It's very hard to get a kid to tell you what is wrong. I have a student in my class who sees the school therapist and he is not bullied, yet he never seems happy. I ask him every day or two how he is feeling, and remind him that if he ever wants to talk about ANYTHING, he can talk to me any time. It just makes him uncomfortable when I do this, but I need him to know that I'm there for him.

Another issue you brought up is that teachers in grade 8 teel their students to learn to deal with their problems on their own. The kinds of issues that I think your teacher wants you to learn to deal with are everyday issues, not serious issues like bullying or mental illness. If you told your teacher you had an eating disorder, they would not tell you to "suck it up".

This is a great issue that you've brought up, and I do agree that there are a lot of kids and teens who don't get the help they need. The challenge for teachers, parents, and other adults who want to help is that kids/teens still feel a sense of embarrassment or fear about asking for help. It's a serious issue, and it's very difficult for all involved.