How long does it take for a child to be tested for autism?

[Tenzo G]

Does any body know how long it take for a child to be tested for autism. I Been waiting for five month's now.My son is three year old. I call Regional Center all the time but they don't call back and my son Dr talk to them to all they say is to be patint.What should I do.

 

[Michelle]

i know i got tested for autism when i was a baby and dure enugh i had it.

 

[Larry]

You shouldn't have told them you wanted your child tested for autism. You should have said you wanted him tested because you are afraid something is wrong with him. You have to be very general. You make doctors angry if you tell them what you think is wrong. If some doctor has decided to take revenge on you by taking it out on your child, it is essential you find another doctor FAST.Anyway, you can diagnose autism yourself. There are no neurological or biological tests for it. Just look up autism in the DSM IV and see if your child's behavior matches the symptoms.http://ani.autistics.org/dsm4-autism.htmlThat's all a doctor can do. The reason for going to a doctor is to rule out physical diseases. Autism is a mental illness.

 

[Moose]

My daughter was diagnosed with Autism last year at my Doctors request. From the point of our Doctor making the request to getting evaluated took us about six weeks. You should also try the local Child Find in your school district if you live in the USA. The evaluation itself takes anywhere from 2-6 hours to complete. Bring tissues because if they find that your child has Autism or something you will cry but remember it is not the end of the world.To find the local Child Find in your school district just Google:"Child Find"&"the name of your school district".You should get a referral from your Doctor. Your child does have to show signs of Autism though, there is no generic test.

 

[Carl D]

I'm assuming first of all, that a "regional center" is located in the U.S.Typically, a parent or teacher can request a multidisciplinary evaluation (meaning a "cross-section" of school professionals such as a speech and language pathologist, a psychologist, social worker, etc.) by signing a "parental consent to evaluate" form at your local school district. They have 30 days to perform and deliver a determination from that point. In real life, however, these time frames get "massaged" to fit schedules as well as school years. It is ALWAYS a good idea to seek out support groups that are familiar with both the regulations involved as well as the school district (LEA).I would recommend calling your local chapter of the Autism Society of America (1-800-3AUTISM) and getting their input.