How to confirm whether a person is suffering from autism?
Patient: Hi, I m a 17 year old girl from New Zealand. Since a few years ago, I have been quite aware of the fact that I have a high probability of being a high-functioning autistic. I did some research at my local autism centre and everything seems clear, but my parents - especially my mother - continue to deny the allegations, saying that I m just making excuses and that you re not autistic or whatever, you re just stupid . Here are the things I have discovered. - I stayed in kindergarten 6 months longer than I should have been due to my development delay problems (late speaking, wearing diapers until I was 4, etc). Even before then, I apparently had a special needs carer/tutor lady come into my house. - I am socially anxious, and have trouble socializing or interacting with other people unless it is completely necessary. Up until I entered high school (13 years old), I was not very social and only talked to a select group of people. - I did not speak until I was 5, and according to my mother, when I did speak it was just simple phrases like Yes or No , and even then it was only to certain people such as member of my family (Mother, father, older brother by 2 years). - Every school I have been in has placed me in their GATE society (the Gifted and Talented programme), and they have placed me in nearly every annual Creative Writing programme held at school, and after reading all the Gifted information that the school provided there s a fine line between Gifted and Autistic. - I don t know if you ve already observed it from here, but I have this extended vocabulary which I sometimes wish I didn t have. Sometimes I think I speak like I have Asperger s Syndrome. - There s this online autism test created by Simon Baron Cohen that was featured in (I think) Embarrassing Bodies. I took it and got a score of 35. I d really like to get a diagnosis so at least I m aware of whether I m autistic or not. I know this isn t enough information but it s the most I can do via the Internet. Thank you. Doctor: Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.I understand that you are wondering whether you may be having a diagnosis of Autism / Autistic Spectrum Disorder. However, a detailed history (including a childhood history from your parents) and a detailed psychological assessment is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Usually, Autistic Spectrum Disoders get diagnosed early in childhood itself, with one criteria being that the onset of symptoms should have been before the age of 3 years. If you would like to clarify your doubt, I would suggest that you consult a psychiatrist in person for a detailed evaluation. Online tests, especially the self-rated ones are usually unreliable.Wish you all the best.Regards,Dr. Jonas SundarakumarConsultant Psychiatrist