Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder, which include impairing of the functioning of behavior, communication, and social interaction. Bringing up children with autism can be an experience that is challenging for families and parents. Caregivers and parents dealing with autistic children require solid support on the parenting practices, attitudes, and knowledge as well as the relevant interventions (Taghizadeh, Heard, Davidson, Williams & Story, 2019).
Pediatricians play a crucial role in assisting caregivers and parents in recognizing the symptoms related with autism to enable them seek for intervention measures. A pediatrician can help to diagnosis a child when presented to the hospital by evaluating the child’s developmental condition regularly (Goedeke, Shepherd, Landon & Taylor, 2019). Early diagnosis is crucial because it allows a parent to seek early interventions to enhance their child’s skills required to achieve their full potential. Early intervention teaches the brain earlier on thereby making the intervention effective and complete (Goedeke, Shepherd, Landon & Taylor, 2019). The pediatrician can advise the parent on the best treatment for their child with the aim of maximizing the ability of the child to function. By seeking intervention measures, the autism symptoms will be able to reduce and improve learning and development. For instance, early interventions may enable a child to learn behavioral, functional, communication, and social skills that are critical to their development. Additionally, the pediatrician can advise parents and caregivers on the best school-based, homebased interventions and treatments for autism that best suit their child. Moreover, the pediatrician can recommend options to the caregivers and parents regarding the needs of a child and help them recognize the resources required for treatment ( An, Chan & Kaukenova, 2018).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Moreover, pediatricians can help parents plan for the future of their child by providing them with services that need support to make the process effective. For example, they can assist parents in planning for the future opportunities for the child including services needed to support the treatment process as they transition into adulthood, living condition, college, and employment ( Zimlich, 2019). Therefore, pediatricians play a critical role in the supporting parents and caregivers to improve the health and developmental condition of a child with autism.
References
An, S., Chan, C. K., & Kaukenova, B. (2018). Families in Transition: Parental Perspectives of Support and Services for Children with Autism in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education , 1-17.
Goedeke, S., Shepherd, D., Landon, J., & Taylor, S. (2019). How perceived support relates to child autism symptoms and care-related stress in parents caring for a child with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders , 60 , 36-47.
Shepherd, D., Landon, J., & Goedeke, S. (2018). Symptom severity, caregiver stress and intervention helpfulness assessed using ratings from parents caring for a child with autism. Autism , 22 (5), 585-596.
Taghizadeh, N., Heard, G., Davidson, A., Williams, K., & Story, D. (2019). The experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder, their caregivers and health care providers during day procedure: A mixed methods study. Pediatric Anesthesia .
Zimlich, R. (2019). It takes a team to care for kids with special health needs. Pediatrics , 36 (4).
