Autism has become a more common diagnosis recently. WebMD notes that autism first became a psychological term in the early 1900’s by Eugen Bleuler. Autistic people are mentally underdeveloped in their ability to enjoy and interact with their external social environment. Severely impaired autistic people are locked into their own mind frequently. Early treatments for autism involved using drugs and painful behavioral modification techniques. Later research has focused adapting the environment to help autistic people finish their education and successfully get a career. There are several ways to identify if you or a family member is on the autistic spectrum.
1. Schedule An Appointment With A Psychologist
Professional psychologists are trained to identify if a person is suffering from natural mental impairment. Sometimes a problem child may not be trying to misbehave as much as caregivers think. It may be an actual mental issue. Figuring out if this is true is helped when a professional assessment is employed.
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2. Take A Free Online Test
While not as accurate, a free online test can help your family decide if it is worth it to get outside help for your child or adult. There are many quality autism tests online.
3. Observe The Person
Sometimes every person has a season of their life where they are less sociable and not able to handle the outside world. Times like early childhood and elderly are good examples. However, if it seems that the person is acting socially delayed even against their own preference, it could be they have a natural impairment.
4. Think About Other Classification Systems
Some autism advocates suggest that autism should not be classified as a disease, just a difference. This may not be true if the person is severely impaired. However, given the rise in autism diagnosis, especially with males, it could be useful to think of alternative psychological personality systems. Some personality schemes like the Myers-Briggs and Big 5 Personality Test. Autism could be another way of saying that a person is just an unusual brain that is not diseased.
5. Try Putting Them In A Normal Work Or School Environment
Sometimes a healthy person is just a little shy. A good way to see if that is true is just to encourage them to try normal work. Particularly if something is new, the person just might need some practice doing normal social activities. Even if they do have autism, a little outside challenge does not hurt. However, this method is unhelpful if taken to an extreme with someone who is actually autistic. Supervisors and caregivers might be needlessly disappointed.
Related Resource: Top 10 Best Applied Behavior Analysis Online Programs 2015
Conclusion
Autism has become a more common term today. There are many resources out there to help people who have this challenge. Taking a look at some of them can help understanding if you have a family member, student, coworker, or friend with this condition. Many autistic people can succeed in normal life if they have enough support.
