The pediatrician and the family doctor are professionals who take care of children’s health and guide parents. They are the ones who usually detect any disease or disorder that the little one may suffer. In fact, most developmental problems are caught in early care visits.
However, in the case of autism , things change a bit. When analyzing the referral sources of children who have received a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder, it has been appreciated that the vast majority went to the psychologist or psychiatrist due to the concern of their parents, the educational psychologist or the nursery staff or school. Very few came directly on suspicion of a pediatrician. Why?
Lack of time weighs down pediatric consultations
This is likely due to the fact that some pediatricians focus primarily on the analysis of physical symptoms, so they do not pay much attention to the signs of psychological retardation that many children with an autism spectrum disorder present, usually due to the lack of time. In consultations, pediatricians usually have limited time to assess the basics of growth and development, while a consultation to detect the standard deviations that demonstrate an autism spectrum disorder takes a long time.
Unfortunately, due to the concern of the parents, it has been appreciated that the main advice given by some pediatricians is to wait a little and transmit a reassuring message, when it has been proven that early diagnosis and intervention in autism spectrum disorders are essential to improve the quality of life of these children and their families.
Pediatrician training does not delve into mental health issues
Another obstacle to the diagnosis of autism is that it is a complex disorder, which is not always easy to detect, unless the professionals who see the child are psychologists or psychiatrists. To diagnose an autism spectrum disorder it is necessary to take a detailed medical history, as well as understand the child’s behavior, his history of psychomotor development and, of course, apply a series of diagnostic tests. Pediatricians and doctors sometimes do not even have this battery of tests.
In fact, the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder goes through two phases. In a first stage, when the detection is carried out, the child undergoes a series of basic developmental assessment tests in which it is checked if she is learning the skills appropriate to her age or if she has any delay in their acquisition. If that evaluation is done correctly, autism can even be detected at 18 months.
In a second stage, a much more detailed comprehensive evaluation is carried out, which involves observing the child’s behavior, interviewing the parents and applying a series of neurological, genetic and hearing and vision evaluation tests to rule out the possibility of it. of another disorder.
Interestingly, the United States Department of Health and Human Services revealed that at least 1 in 5 children suffers from some mental or emotional disorder at some point during childhood or adolescence and that 16% of children aged 3 and 17 years old have some developmental problem.
Still, developmental problems and emotional and behavioral disorders occupy very little space in the training of the pediatrician and the family doctor. Pediatricians and family doctors have not received a solid academic and practical training that allows them to detect, diagnose, guide and accompany children with an autism spectrum disorder .
