Author Q&A

Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps
by Nancy Wiseman

(Page 3 of 4)

How is your book different from all the other books on autism?

Could It Be Autism? is for any parent who has concerns about a child's social, emotional, behavioral, or communication development. My book explains the steps parents can take to confirm or rule out a developmental delay as early as four months with our easy-to-use checklist of healthy developmental milestones and through the use of accurate screening measures, which we include in the book. We empower parents to act on their instincts and initial concern, rather than to "wait and see". Parents will learn what to do if their concerns turn out to be justified, how to get a diagnosis, what to expect, how to design and launch the best intervention plan based on their child's unique developmental profile, and how to really advocate for their child. Could It Be Autism? is about giving parents hope - hope that they can give their child what he or she needs to have the best life possible.

Why did you start First Signs and how did you become inspired to write this book?

First Signs was born out of my own personal experience. When my daughter was diagnosed at the age of two, there were no books or Web sites to help guide me through the screening, diagnostic, referral, or treatment process. I didn't know who to see, where to go, or what to expect. It was because of Sarah's early struggles and amazing accomplishments with intensive early intervention that inspired me to create First Signs and, ultimately, to write Could It Be Autism? No organization existed with an emphasis on early identification, so I founded First Signs to give other children the early and important start they need.

What is First Signs?

First Signs, Inc. a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating parents and pediatric professionals throughout the world to recognize and identify the "first signs" of developmental delays and disorders in early childhood, including autism. We focus on the critical and often overlooked aspects of development: Social, emotional, communication, and behavior. Our mission is to promote the best developmental outcome for every child through public awareness and education. Our goals are to improve early identification through a simple screening method, to facilitate timely referral of children to early intervention programs, and to lower the age at which most children are diagnosed. It is possible to mitigate a full-blown disorder if you intervene early enough and, in some cases, children can become indistinguishable from typically-developing peers.

Have your programs resulted in any change?

In a few short years, First Signs has helped to change policy, improve awareness, and change pediatric practice in how we screen, refer, and detect young children who are at risk for autism and other developmental disorders. To date, we have launched public awareness and training programs in New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Delaware. We have provided outreach to thousands of families and information to hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations worldwide. First Signs has received requests to launch our program in more than 47 states and five countries. The Minnesota First Signs program resulted in a 75% increase in the number of children in the 0-2 age group identified with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Why is there such a need for change?

According to the CDC, 1 in 6 children has a developmental, behavioral, or learning disability. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the U.S., affecting as many as 1 in 166 children. The average age of diagnosis is between 3 and 6, despite the fact that most parents feel there is something wrong by 18 months of age and are usually seeking medical assistance by 2 years. But what's so startling is that fewer than 30% of primary care providers conduct regular standardized developmental screening tests and only about 18% of children who need early intervention services receive it.

Health care providers are the only professionals who have routine contact with all children prior to school entrance. They're required by Medicaid and urged by the American Academy of Pediatrics to detect developmental and behavioral problems and refer children promptly to early intervention services. But, they lack the tools, the training, and the time. Developmental screening and surveillance should be a routine part of every well visit.

So many parents rely on their pediatrician. What should their role be?

While the role of the pediatrician is not to "diagnose" and "treat" a child with ASD, their role is to monitor a child's healthy development and to address concerns through the practice of routine developmental surveillance. Observation by itself is not enough, since developmental delays can be subtle and easy to miss for the untrained eye without the use of a validated screening tool. By making developmental surveillance and routine developmental screening regular parts of office visits, the index of suspicion becomes heightened for physicians, helping them to sharpen their observations and to elicit better information about concerns from parents.

Copyright © 2006 by Nancy Wiseman

About the Author

Nancy Wiseman is the founder and president of First Signs, Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating parents and pediatric professionals about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders. First Signs provides professionals with tools and training and parents with education and support to help young children stay on a healthy developmental path. Nancy is the mother of Sarah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Today - at age nine - Sarah stands as a powerful and positive example of the impact that early identification and intensive intervention can have on young children with developmental delays and disorders. This little girl, once so profoundly delayed, has made remarkable progress, much like the organization she inspired seven years ago.