 Signs of autism to look at for in your toddler first with acts. What is autism? Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by an impairment in the ability to communicate with others and impairments in the ability to form social relationships repetitive and stereotypic behavior patterns according to the diagnostic and statistical Manual of mental disorder this in five a manual of the American Psychiatric Association Which provides us a list of diagnostic criteria as well as signs to look out for in Autism this list consists of social interaction communication and language restrictive repetitive and Stereotypic behavior patterns social interaction a lack of the ability to follow familiar adults With their gaze or look at what is being pointed at a lack of enjoyment for activities or the children will enjoy example, but the party play dates lack of showing or pointing at objects of interest Can be described as self-sufficient. That is happiest when left alone inability to look parent or caregiver in the eye eye to eye gaze or poor expression isolate themself in a group setting communication and language delayed receptive language Showing showing a lack of understanding of what is being said example at 18 months a child should Recognize familiar individuals objects or places within the home delayed expressive language not vocalizing words or verbalizing by guest by gestures difficulty with pragmatic language Charts in ability to use language as required for different settings For example, a four-year-old child should be able to follow the rules of conversation Staying topic take turns ask questions and unusual intonation repetitive use of language impaired Make-believe play a regression or an absolute loss of speech The chart should be able to wave bye-bye at one year Repetitive stereotypic behavior patterns and unusual adherence to routine or rituals repetitive motor mannerism example body rocking and flapping always seeking to touch others fascinated by numbers Letters and or any object of choice Fisected on objects if your chart ticks off some of those criteria Please do not wait early intervention makes a whole world of difference Remember no two children as a bit the exact same symptoms of autism Toss the statement by Dr. Steven Shaw If you have met one individual with autism, you have met one individual with autism So Your child has been diagnosed with autism now what next I Always ask that question. What is diagnosis? You know me, you know me, you know me You know why I ask that question I have I don't stop talking about my daughter is 21. She has autism. She's on the spectrum Okay, so think about 21 years ago. What diagnosis entailed? and I Say it not out of a place of which you throw away everything that's happened but I come from a perspective of I've seen what happened previously like you rightly said the world has moved on where copying things and so there are a lot of Diagnostic tools out there that so it's no longer a question of I give you Ten questions to respond to and when you've ticked off the ten you now say oh you give somebody a label They have autism which is what is still happening quite a number of people are doing it, but that is just screening Absolutely, so if you've done the screening and you suspect that this individual may have autism Mark my words may have autism Autism what should you do refer them to someone that can diagnose properly not just looking at the DSM 5 like you pointed out because that is just a criteria yes, if we don't have people who are trained Yes to use a tool to diagnose as a different But I know there are a couple of us around who are doing that Okay, so it's important to have that you can have a clinical diagnosis no problem But at the end of the day, let's not give people the label and say they have autism without Confirming yeah, I am doing a research Work right now. Okay, we went out of Lagos state and we met this child a girl who's about 11 12 thereabouts, you know adolescent and When I ran the diagnosis on her She didn't meet the criteria for Autism AST, but I kept asking myself. What was going on? Until we got hold of the mother who then answered the screening questions And I compared it to what was in the DSM 5 it turned out that this child had childhood Disintegrated disorder Which is also neurodevelopmental disorder something people don't really understand It is that a doctor telling you is different from the specialist telling you right? So like when you go for your MOT and maybe you know the GP has found something You know found a lump. I suspect it might be you know cancer or found something I suspect is this you then are referred to the specialist in that area to check So it's a it's a similar thing For me, I think for me the next question should be Who then does the diagnosis before because I think that a lot of it just like as you said Some people have the screening tool and they use the screening tool to screen out and you say this So who does the diagnosis because sometimes I just go to one person or even the doctors Cannot just be the person to do a diagnosis. They do not do that. No, they say they shouldn't. They shouldn't But sometimes that is what you get. They shouldn't. Yes What they use is a scale like the DSM the criteria We need to speak on that because Let people be knowledgeable about who does the diagnosis because you said you need a diagnosis You know you to be able to get intervention. So who does the diagnosis? That's what what I say. Remember what I said I'm not saying we should jettison The DSM criteria because to be trained to do a diagnosis costs a lot of money It is not readily available in the country. I remember one of the hospitals I worked within the course of my research when they found out I was a dose trained and all of that They wanted me to train them But I said I had to go back to where I did the training to be sure that I had the approver to train the trainer Yes, so that's what so it's expensive and I understand that what I'm saying or the emphasis is We're not saying don't tell people that don't do the assessments and everything that you're doing but to have a differential a definitive differential diagnosis Requires a bit more than administering 10 questions 40 questions Some checklists a scale other scale, which is what a lot of us have if you use the DSM 5 criteria I know some of us wouldn't like to hear it, but I always say it and For me that is the gospel truth. We say we've been copying people. Let's copy them to the right way Okay, so if you use a checklist you use a skill You use anything other than an autism diagnostic tool Let's be honest enough to just say it there That my clinical impression is so so and so so people because we get that a lot in the center people come to say Oh, they've given us a diagnosis. Not everybody will afford a diagnosis. My daughter wasn't Diagnosed until three years ago because she needed that report to get this for her to access the sort of support that she required in the next stage Okay, so that's where it's really important. If you have a suspicion stated that I suspect this. It's fine It's the diagnostic tools are expensive very and you need to be trained I remember as a two years ago. I couldn't get any two with my level of Certification I couldn't but last year I could get certain because you need to be trained and even at that I'm even still requesting for more training because you get a lot of reports that says otherwise, but the most important thing that sides the Suspicion a diagnostic reports I see it as Opening the doorway to the right intervention for your child. I like that So it's open the door with the right intervention. Why do I say so? I will bring this home to myself I suspected a lot of things on my son. Nobody was I don't know what was going on in Nigeria They might really do not know they were just oh your child is fine. Oh, it's fine But I knew there was something I started doing what I could do. Thankfully. Yes, it's made a lot of progress But as soon as he got a proper Assessment and if a proper report I could then put in the right intervention That's for the very first time even at school. They are saying oh is a lot calmer. Oh, this is going on So that is what that a diagnostic report would help you do We thank you for your attention while the program lasted we hoped our Conversations resonated with you and that in some small way Encourage you to contribute to your immediate environment Little drops of water. They say make a mighty ocean Remember that there's nothing more weakening about a disability than the way people treat you over it The advocacy continues on our social media platforms on Facebook plus TV Africa Hashtag the advocate NG and on Twitter and Instagram at plus TV Africa Hashtag the advocate NG to catch up with previous broadcasts go to plus TV Africa comm For slash the advocate NG don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel plus TV Africa and plus TV Africa lifestyle Join us next week same time on this station. Let's keep advocating for a better society. See you next time See you