Exploring The Tests And Examinations For Treating Autism

Tests and Examinations for Treating Autism

Along with the normal treatment program various tests and examinations also help in getting right ideas and more precise information about the causes and severity of autism in a child, adults or teen. The common tests and examination used to treat autism are discussed below.     

Screening Tests

Screening tests are mainly used to identify the signs and symptoms of autism accurately. We know that autism is a brain development disorder so it is important to know that whether a child is really suffering from brain developmental problem or his symptoms are pointing towards the presence of another developmental or personality disorder. Therefore mental health specialists prefer to take screening tests of patient with ADHD symptoms to remove every confusion about his disturbed mental condition.   

Physical examination

In case of developmental disorders, the normal growth process of a patient is also disturbs therefore it is considered important to check the weight, height, speaking abilities, hearing, muscle movements, feelings and other developmental progress of a person suffering from autism. For this purpose various physical tests are taken to get satisfied data about the whole developmental process of a patient. These physical tests help to find out the developmental lapses in a child which specify the way of further treatment plan.         

Behavioral Assessment Techniques

Various behavioral assessment techniques also prove helpful in treating a patient of autism. These behavioral assessment techniques are discussed below. 

1- Using Questionnaire to Judge Developmental Impairments

Firstly questionnaires are used to check the developmental inabilities hidden in a patient of autism. Through this technique answers given by a patient helps a lot to judge his developmental progress as a whole and helps to find out inner complexities and thinking barriers hampering the overall developmental process. In a questionnaire, various questions are asked about every aspects of patient’s life from his personal likes and dislikes to social relationships and norms. Patient’s response to these specific questions actually provides a way to look beyond his outer personality image.             

2- Checking Medical History

Secondly medical history of a patient is also taken under consideration to find out any abnormality present at the time of birth or after it. It can help to identify the real factors behind such brain impairment and helps in treating it on right lines. Suppose if his mother was suffering from depression or severe drug abuse at the time of his birth then the chances for his abnormal mental conditions will be much higher than normally delivery condition.     

3- Interviewing Family Members

Thirdly questions are asked to the family members of a patient to get adequate information about his likes, dislikes, inclinations, responses and reactions to various actions. This information is very much important to untie the knots of his disturbed mental conditions. Data gathered from family and friends help to identify those aspects of his personality which are hard to recognize in few meetings with patient.  

4- Check Response to Specific Situations

Fourthly a patient of autism is kept under various situations to check his response to those particular environments. Such clinical treatment opens provides a chance to examine patient’s responses under controlled environmental setup which means that if due to some reason he get aggressive and stats to act violently he can be controlled and can taken out of that situation with no serious harm to himself and to the people present around him.     

5- Taking Intelligence Test to Judge Cognitive Skills    

Fifthly specific intelligence tests are prepared for the patient of autism to check his understanding, thinking and discerning abilities and decision making power. These tests show that how much he can think positively or is there a chance for his learning come back or how much effort is needed to make him near to normal thinking level of a normal human being. Some patients show amazing abilities in solving complex questions and in completing difficult tasks within shorter period of time. In this way these intelligence tests help to identify their natural cognitive abilities which are disturbed at the moment due to the presence of a mental disorder.

No doubt that these tests and exams provide valuable data about every aspect of patient’s personal life from his thinking patterns to action taking abilities and facilitates the future treatment process.

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