Autism is being diagnosed at an alarmingly fast rate. As of 2011, 1 in every 110 children were being diagnosed with Autism or some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Shute 1). More children today are being diagnosed with Autism and perhaps more are being misdiagnosed with the disease than in the past few years. There is some debate on who should diagnose children with any developmental disorder. Should a pediatrician who only sees the child for a few minutes every couple of months have the ability to diagnose a child with Autism or any developmental/mental disorder? Should children automatically be recommended to a therapist or licensed counselor when a parent or the pediatrician suspects something could be “wrong”?
Some parents and medical professionals could argue there are not enough resources or clinics made available to help properly diagnose children with Autism. There are, however, more professionals being trained in Autism diagnoses and treatments then there ever has been. These people are trained in the ability to not only diagnose a child but also help with therapy and work closely with the child. Because Autism is being misdiagnosed, more children should be referred to a professional who is more knowledgeable on the disease than a pediatrician or other medical doctor that can assist the child and families with therapy options and treatment.
With Autism on the rise some researchers question whether a child actually has Autism or is just developing slower than others? This is a pressing question for many parents. Parents do not want something to be wrong with their child and are concerned when their child is not communicating with them at the age they think they should. Michael Rutter discusses in his article, “Progress in
Autism: 2007-2010”, what age should parents be concerned with their child’s developmental progress. Autism can be diagnosed in children as young as 18 months to 2 years old. If a child is not speaking or communicating with their parents by 12 months of age they should not be concerned. Rutter supports this claim in his article by stating, “screening questionnaires for autism work reasonably well at 18 months and above, but are not particularly useful below that age when parents have no clinical concerns” ( 398). Rutter goes on to support this claim by adding that children typically have not developed motor skills or verbal skills until 18 months or older. There are some children who just refuse to speak or they could be overshadowed by an older sibling who does all the talking for them. Brooke Ingersoll also supports the claim of children being diagnosed too early with Autism. In her article, “Recent Advances in Early
Identification and Treatment of Autism,” she agrees that children should not be diagnosed with
Autism or any Autism Spectrum Disorder before the age of 2 years old. Some children simply develop slower than others, but that does not mean they are Autistic. “This is because many of the early symptoms of ASD are reduced frequency of nonverbal social communication skills,” which she argues, “are not firmly established in typical children until 24 months or later” (336).
Ingersoll also addresses the fact that some children might not develop any verbal skills until they are 36 months. Therefore, children should be monitored from the ages of 2 years till around 3 years old. Early intervention is important but parents should not be too worried if there 1 year old is not saying single words yet. Parents can sometimes jump the gun when it comes to how fast their child develops. It is important to keep in mind that some children could just be slower learners or just refuse to talk.
Pediatricians are diagnosing children with Autism when in fact they are only spending a few minutes with the child. Although medical doctors are becoming more knowledgeable about
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), most general practice doctors do not have the specialized training in ASD recognition and diagnoses. There is much debate between

psychiatrist and medical doctors on what constitutes a child having ASD. Brydan Sarah Lenne and Catherine Waldby report in their article “Sorting out autism spectrum disorders: Evidencebased medicine and the complexities of the clinical encounter,” that medical doctors are labeling children with ASD when in fact they may just be slow developers. The article supports this claim by stating, “the sheer heterogeneity of ASDs in terms of causes, age of onset, manifestation of symptoms, outcome and comorbidity with other disorders, means that the application of this label is broad and thus leads to indeterminate medical definitions of this disorder amongst practitioners” (71). Lenne and Waldby support their article further by interviewing nine pediatricians on their knowledge of ASD. They found the reason most pediatricians are misdiagnosing children with ASD is because they just do not have the resources available to them that a licensed therapist does have. Physicians are more concerned with pleasing parents and providing answers for the parents and therefore are misdiagnosing children when in fact they do not have to resources or knowledge to properly diagnose children with ASD. The American
Psychiatric Association (APA) is in the process of updating their manual for mental health disorders. The manual is called Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or DSM; helps provide pediatricians and other general practitioners with more symptoms and manifestations of Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders. With the help of the DSM medical doctors can also aid in the therapy options that are available to parents. Also with this knowledge doctors can reassure parents that there is hope for assisting their child with their needs.
The DSM helps provide pediatricians with a checklist of symptoms for Autism or ASD; however, some pediatricians rely too much on the checklist instead of spending more time with the child. Currently pediatricians are using the DSM-IV manual to diagnose children with
Autism. The APA is in the process of updating the manual and will provide medical and psychiatric doctors with the DSM-V in May 2013. The DSM-V is meant to provide pediatricians with a more precise checklist for diagnosing children with Autism or ASD. Ferris Jabr writes an article for the Huffpost Healthy Living titled “Will New DSM-5 Criteria for Autism Spectrum
Disorder Exclude Some People?” that discusses the issues some doctors might face in diagnosing children with Autism or ASD. By changing the criteria and a checklist that pediatricians are accustomed to and rely on can cause some children to not be properly diagnosed or not diagnosed at all. The DSM-V will make guidelines and criteria stricter. Some children who have been previously diagnosed will not meet the tougher guidelines and will not be able to receive the treatment needed.
Not only are medical doctors misdiagnosing children with Autism and ASD but parents in a desperate attempt to find answers to their child’s developmental problems are also misdiagnosing their own children. Parents can become concerned if their child is not able to communicate with them or displays sensory issues when they are between the ages of 1-3 years. Children, however, could have other developmental issues that are being misdiagnosed as ASD. Doctors Clare
Allely and Philip Wilson discuss in their article, “Diagnosing autism spectrum disorders in primary care”, parents are going to their general practitioner with concerns with their child’s lack of sensory reactions. The article states, “Some parents consult their GP worried that their child might have autism. Others may attend with a range of concerns that might point to the condition such as problems with hearing, vision, hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, behavior management, language impairment or repetitive behavior” (27). These concerns could be linked to some other developmental problem but instead is being given the ASD label. It is important for parents to

not only consult with their general practitioner but they also need to consult a licensed and experienced therapist.
Once a child has been correctly diagnosed with ASD parents need to contact a properly trained and experienced therapist or counselor in assisting with therapy options. There are many options available to parents; however, knowing which treatment or therapist to trust can be a battle.
Victoria A. Miller, Kimberly A. Schreck , James A. Mulick , and Eric Butter discuss this problem in their article, “Factors related to parents’ choices of treatments for their children with autism spectrum disorders” parents are bombarded with information on treatment options.
The article supports this claim by stating, “With the latest estimate of the childhood prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) now surpassing that of Down Syndrome, diabetes, and cancer, many more parents have faced the daunting tasks of contending with this diagnosis, and most importantly, selecting a treatment for their child in the face of numerous contradictory professional and non-professional recommendations about treatment” (87). According to Nancy
Shute, who wrote an article in the Scientific American titled “Desperate for an Autism Cure” she reports parents are willing to follow every “snake-oil salesman and farfetched cure offered on the internet; including stem cell injections, hyperbaric chamber treatments or using hug machines”
(1). With so many treatment options available to parents it is important for these parents to do as much research as possible. Although treatments are expensive it is important for parents to get their children the help they need from experienced and reputable professionals.
Although there is still a lot of research needed for ASD, pediatricians are more knowledgeable today with diagnoses than in the past. Parents, however, are still chasing the miracle and hope that their child will be cured of ASD. Even though research has shown there is no cure or cause parents are desperate for some answers as to why their child is afflicted with Autism and ASD.
Shute also states in her article, “The good news is that rising demand for proved treatments is attracting money for research” (1). With the help of funding perhaps more treatment options can be made available to parents. Although a seemingly devastating diagnosis of Autism once meant a child was considered hopeless, with proper diagnoses and treatment that child can grow into a functioning adult. According to reliable research with early intervention, continuing therapy and treatment most children can develop coping skills that will enable them to communicate with others. Although there is no evidence of a scientific cure for Autism, parents can be reassured that there are many professionals that are able to assist them in the treatment and therapy of their child.

Works Cited
Allely, CS, and P. Wilson. "Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders in Primary Care." The
Practitioner 255 (2011): 27-30. Print.
Ingersoll, B. "Recent Advances in Early Identification and Treatment of Autism." Current
Directions in Psychological Science 20.5 (2011): 335-39. Print.
Lenne, B. and Waldby, C. “Sorting out autism spectrum disorders: Evidence-based medicine and the complexities of the clinical encounter.” Health Sociology Review . 70-83. (April 2011).
Miller, Victoria A., Kimberly A. Schreck, James A. Mulick, and Eric Butter. "Factors Related to
Parents’ Choices of Treatments for Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders."
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2011). Print.
Shute, Nancy. "Desperate for an Autism Cure." Scientific American Oct. 2010: 80-85. Article.
Rutter, Michael. "Progress in Understanding Autism: 2007-2010." Journal of Autism &
Developmental Disorders 41.4 (2011): 395-404. Print.