Diagnosing Autism:

The diagnosis of autism depends on clinical observation and professional tests which are done using some particular international standards. Psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians and the physicians are the experts who can diagnose this disorder. The tests which are used to detect this disorder are: Autism Diagnostic Checklist Form E-2, CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test -2, ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale), M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), and ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised).

Moreover, these tests are supported with the results obtained through the interview of parents and the medical history of the child. The DSM-IV – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is an international standard that has set certain guidelines and criteria which is used to diagnose Autism.

The Pervasive Developmental Disorder includes the Spectrum in which there are five disorders which include: Asperger’s disorder, Autism, Rhett’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified) and the Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

Numerous different characteristics are elaborated in the DSM-IV which are specified below. The ASDs are classified according to the specifications given in the DSM-IV. These are as under.