The Follow-Up: Understanding Autism Characteristics

As a pediatrician, I know how stressful it can feel when you’re filling out those developmental questionnaires at your child’s checkup. You check a few “no” boxes, and suddenly you’re spiraling! What does this mean? Should I be worried? In this episode, I sit down with an autism specialist to talk through what some of those screening questions actually mean and how they’re meant to be interpreted. We look at common items from the M-CHAT like pointing, pretend play, and responding to their name and unpack why these aren’t simple yes-or-no milestones. We talk about what’s typical, what might be worth keeping an eye on, and how to bring up your concerns in a productive way with your child’s doctor. Most importantly, we discuss why one missed skill doesn’t equal a diagnosis, and how to focus on the whole picture of your child’s development. We discuss: Why the M-CHAT can sometimes create more confusion than clarity What “joint attention” looks like in real life (and why it ...