The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Brandywine Valley

Speech therapy is almost always recommended for autistic children since many people with autism have difficulty with social communication. Even if a child is very verbal and says a lot of words, they might need to work on communication skills like: 

• responding to questions
• starting or ending conversation
• changing conversation topics
• using gestures like pointing
• understanding other people's body language 

Speech therapy is a big focus in early intervention for autistic children and is usually the starting place for recently diagnosed kids. There is a critical period in the brain for language development and so, it's really important to teach language and communication skills as early as possible, especially if there are any delays in that area. Your child will learn effective ways to communicate which will help them grow into more independent and confident individuals.

It might be obvious when a child struggles with speaking —they are very quiet, say only a few words, or don't speak at all.

Spot speech and language delays like a doctor here.

The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Some other common things speech therapists can help with:

• Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
• Forming speech in a clearer way
• Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
• Understanding and responding to questions
• Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
• Noticing and understanding body language
• Feeding and swallowing
• Stuttering

Your pediatrician might be able to administer screenings, but most general doctors are not trained to formally diagnose autism. They might refer you to a qualified diagnostic clinician which include: 

• Developmental Pediatricians
• Child Psychologists
• Child Psychiatrists
• Pediatric Neurologists
• Pediatric Neuropsychologists

Your experience might look different depending on the type of clinician you choose. Many families prefer working with developmental pediatricians. Others might work with a psychiatrist or another specialist to get a different perspective.

A formal ASD diagnosis, or a medical diagnosis, helps you get the support your family needs, especially within the context of accessing medically necessary therapies and services.

• Insurance Coverage for Therapies: Medically necessary therapies for ASD are often covered by insurance including, but not limited to, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy. 
• Financial Support: A diagnosis is required when applying for social security or disability benefits. 
• Plan for Care: A diagnosis helps identify your child’s support needs. For example, your child might need to develop social communication and self-regulation skills.
• Future Research: The more data we gather through evaluations, the more we can improve services for autistic children and adults.

Check out Autism Diagnosis: The Complete Guide for Parents for more information.

In a typical allergic reaction, your child’s body encounters an allergen (like pollen, dander, or pet hair) and sees it as a threat. Trying to protect itself, the immune system sends out a special protein called IgE antibodies to the mast cells in your child’s body. When your child comes in contact with the allergen again, those cells release chemicals (like histamines or eosinophils). The chemicals the antibodies release cause inflammation. That’s why your child’s nose gets stuffy and runny, or their skin breaks out in a rash when they come in contact with an allergen.

There are several types of allergies that children can have. Your child may experience one or more of these. While there are some rare ones out there, these are the most common types:

• Allergic Rhinitis: This is when your child has allergies to things like pollen, dust, or pet dander in the air.
• Food Allergies: Some children are allergic to certain foods like peanuts, milk, eggs, or fish. 
• Drug Allergies: Your child may be allergic to certain medicines. If they take a medicine they’re allergic to, they might get a rash, hives, or feel sick. 
• Insect Sting Allergies: If your child gets stung by a bee, wasp, or fire ant, they might have an allergic reaction. 
• Contact Allergies: Some people have a reaction when their skin touches certain things, like certain metals, latex, or plants (such as poison ivy). 
• Allergic Asthma: This is a specific subtype of asthma where asthma symptoms are triggered by things the person is allergic to, like pollen or pet dander. 

For more information on common allergies in children, check out our guide.

When you visit a neurologist, they’ll assess your child’s needs, run some tests (think imaging or EEG), and diagnose. From there, they’ll create a customized treatment plan. Medication, lifestyle tweaks, or maybe even a referral to another specialist could be on the table.

There unfortunately isn’t one test for all neurodevelopmental conditions. Most likely you will go into a visit to test one or two medical conditions. If you are looking for a comprehensive autism evaluation, developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists are the preferred specialists who can diagnose autism.

No, neurologists focus mainly on non-surgical interventions. If your child needs surgery, neurologists might point you in the direction of a pediatric neurosurgeon.