DIAGNOSING AUTISM

Happy New year, guys!

Last year, I was really consistent about posting on this blog. Unfortunately, I cannot be posting bi-weekly because your girl is an adult and she cannot handle so much. Although, I will be using my Instagram account for more content.

Follow SpectrumSis on Instagram

So, as this is the first blogpost of the year. I decided to start on a light note, talking about the Diagnosis of Autism.

As you know Autism is a spectrum and it presents itself differently in people. Not everyone experiences the same symptoms.

If your child or sibling has been showing signs that he/she might be autistic, the right thing to do is to go to a doctor.

The good news is that there are experienced specialists that can help to get a proper diagnosis. Doctors and Behavioural Specialists can look at your child's developmental history and behavior and then make decisions from there.

ASD is usually detected at 18 months or younger. Early signs of ASD include avoiding eye contact, delayed speech and limited display of language. However, it has been confirmed that some people don't receive a diagnosis until they are much older. Some individuals are not diagnosed until they are adolescents, but it doesn’t mean that they won’t get the right assistance and support they need.

Note that Individuals with ASD may also have other challenges and conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Developmental monitoring should be considered for all children; It observes your child’s growth and also confirms if your child meets the developmental milestones in specific areas- growing, playing, communicating, learning and much more.

Early diagnosis is very important because the skills needed for them to reach their full potential are taught early. Once diagnosed, know that individuals with autism won't feel alone in their journey and it also increases self-awareness.

Although, I won't consider a self-diagnosis because it can lead to an inaccurate conclusion.

Read this for more. Why Self-Diagnosis of Autism Can Be a Problem (elemy.com)

Guys, it's a new year; let's be intentional about creating awareness and dispelling many stereotypes!

Comments

The Change

HOW I DEALT WITH THE NEWS. Hiiiiiii. Let me just say my awesome friends pushed me to doing this and I love them❤️ So I have been so fortunate to know the word “Autism and everything it entails. I have a brother of 17 years who is autistic and if you knew me well, you would know I mention Tobi like a million times a day, when referring to anything. He's just in my mind everytime, gosh. Is it weird that I don’t remember my childhood? Maybe, But I think it’s so weird that I don’t understand how it happened, why it keeps happening to children, but I can tell that they are beautiful in every way and when my brother became autistic, was he meant to be this or was cursed? As a Nigerian, you question things like this and search for spiritual help. I never knew of the situation till I was 14. When I was younger, I was ignorant. I didn’t know what was wrong with my brother. I was even too self-absorbed at that age or just busy looking for trouble. I didn’t know why he didn’t speak or w...

A PERSONAL STORY ON CEREBRAL PALSY: CAN REALLY GOD TAKE AWAY DISABILITIES?

Did I always know better? No. So, I will tell you something that happened in Secondary School ten years ago. There was this girl that had Cerebral Palsy . But I didn’t know that was it. I always thought that she had a curse or possession. Image from Very Well Health site I did not even know about Cerebral Palsy until I got out of high school. I randomly remembered her last year and felt so terrible. This girl was subjected to mockery, ridicule, and so much stress in a boarding school by her teachers, mates, and seniors. I couldn’t even possibly imagine how she felt. She had to make it to class every day without support and learn like others. There was no form of special education in the school. See Last Month's post: Reservations from a love struck neurotypical sibling I cannot blame her parents, even if it’s questioning to let your child come to that kind of environment. They may not have known about her problem. If they weren't aware she was differ...

Helllooooooo!

PARENTS Last time I wrote about how I handled the news of my brother being on the spectrum, possibly telling the other siblings who have special siblings that everything will be okay if they just understand their siblings and try their best to create time for them and appreciate their existence. So today is for the parents and also siblings though. I’m not a parent but I’m at that age to learn things, to accept them. I can tell that I’m probably going to be an extra and dramatic mother🤷 If you have a parent in your life or a parental figure in your life that actually loves you and does everything to make you happy, you’re so lucky. Trust me that they might not show you love the way you want it, but they do. I follow this Instagram platform for Autism parents and the way they talk about them is amazing. There are like super heroes. You can imagine how hard parenting is. How you have to sacrifice your own need for a person. I don’t know how I would handle it but parenthood is someth...

AN INCLUSIVE KIND WORLD

Search This Blog