Parents spend a lot of time looking for the proper diagnosis.
Although a diagnosis is important for several reasons it is only a tool.
It gives parents a framework to start working with.
A diagnosis allows parents to look at whether or not a specific behavior is typical for a child with Autism.
Children being children, some behaviors will be part of the diagnosis and some behaviors will be ones that are typical for a lot of children.
That is always one of the things to look at, is the behavior for someone at my child's age or developmental level.
It also allows parents to start with a variety of interventions that have already worked for other people with that diagnosis.
Basically parents of children with Autism will not always have to start from square one.
We can build on the information from other parents.
Unfortunately, some parents get a diagnosis and another and another.
Of course, it is possible for a child to have several diagnoses that are correct.
The frustrating part is when a parent thinks that they have a diagnosis and therefore the answer.
A diagnosis is just a tool for parents to use.
So going back to the original question 'Is your child Autistic?'.
Will the answer make a difference to the way you raise your child or the way you love your child? Do not become overly vested in the diagnosis.
There are many other tasks for the average parent.
Of course there are extra tasks when you are the parent of a child with Autism.