Autism (ASD) Assessment

What signs might I see in my child?

Autism presents differently in every child, but these are the kinds of differences parents often tell us they've noticed:

• Difficulty communicating, delay in developing speech or understanding language
• Difficulty understanding emotions in others, reading facial expressions or understanding tone of voice
• Differences in use of eye contact — they might avoid it, or it may appear more intense
• Limited and often intense interests
• Behavioural problems such as over-reactive to seemingly small triggers, physical aggression, frequent meltdowns
• Strong preference for routine and struggles with change
• A preference for playing alone
• Sensory sensitivities (strong likes or dislikes for certain sensations) including a fussy or restricted diet
• Sleep difficulties
• Difficulties making or keeping friendships

Should I get my child assessed?

Reasons why your child might benefit from an autism assessment include:

• Behavioural problems at home and/or at school
• Concerns about slow academic progress at school
• Difficulties managing social relationships
• Showing signs of anxiety about attending school or school refusal
• Family functioning is being significantly impacted by behaviours at home