Chantal
Sicile-Kira, an advocate and author of five books on autism, recently published 41 Things to Know about Autism. With more than 25 years of first-hand experience, Sicile-Kira was first
introduced to the disorder during her employment at a state hospital where she
prepared youths for deinstitutionalization. In June 2010, her 20-year-old
son, who is non verbal and has severe autism, will be graduating high school with a full
academic diploma from high school. Sicile-Kira is president of Autism Making A
Difference, Inc, which provides inspiration, information and hope to families
and educator. She was the subject of Newsweek’s cover story “Growing Up with Autism, and
the award-winning MTV True Life episode “I Have Autism.” Her perspective as both a parent and leader in the autism community inspired her son to pursue attending community college. Sicile-Kira continues to write about autism and
instruct others in her recent appointment as the co-chair for the South Counties
Autism Regional Taskforce under the California Senate Select Committee on
Autism. For more information, visit www.chantalsicile-kira.com/.

Here's an except from the book that I particularly resonated with because I am frequently giving this same advice:

"Although diagnosis rates of autism have in­creased (now 1 in 100
children), not all medical professionals are aware of the signs of autism at
different ends of the spectrum. The difficulty is that there is no medical test
that can be given to determine whether a person has autism.

Often a mother is the one who discovers some­thing is wrong
because she notices her baby is not going through developmental milestones at
the usual pace.  

"A pediatrician who
is not very knowledgeable about autism may tell her to wait a few months and
come back, saying that boys don’t always develop as quickly as girls. However,
what autism looks like at different ages and different places on the spectrum
is variable. Thus, choosing the right professional is important. Seek the advice of a professional who is
knowledgeable about the behavioral symptoms as well as the diagnostic
criteria—and the sooner, the better.

"My advice: follow your instincts. If you are the parent, you know
your baby or child best because you spend the most time with him or her. If you
think there is something wrong, there probably is. The important thing is to
find the right person who can tell you if your child has an Autism Spectrum
Disorder. Remember, in all that you do, you are not alone. There are many
people in your situation looking for answers. Take the first step and see a
professional who can help.

"If you are a parent wondering whether your baby is reaching his
developmental milestones, there is a list of them on the First Signs Web site
at www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm. When reviewing this list, keep
in mind that some children have regressive type autism—they develop normally
then lose skills previously learned. Also remember that this checklist does not
include the gastrointesti­nal challenges many babies with autism suffer from."

Sicile-Kira lists national resource and support organizations to which parents can turn for help.