What tests should be done for children with autism?

Autism endangers children's health and even affects their lives. Therefore, for parents, if they find that their children have signs of autism, they should take them to a professional hospital for examination in time so that early intervention can be carried out. Of course, it is also important to understand some of the examinations that children with autism should undergo, and then conduct targeted examinations so that they can receive treatment early and make their children healthier.

Of course, for children, there are many causes of autism, so parents should not be too nervous. It is best to know about the examinations that should be done for children with autism and to conduct targeted examinations. This is very critical and very important.

1. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) is used by professionals to evaluate children. The scale has 15 items, each item is scored on a seven-level scale of 1-4 with 0.5 points per level, 1 point for normal and 4 points for the most severe. The total score is calculated cumulatively. A CARS total score of ≤29.5 is normal; a CARS total score of 30-36.5 is mild to moderate autism; a CARS total score of ≥37 is severe autism;

2. Electroencephalogram (EEG) or brain topography The abnormal rate of EEG examination is 10%-83%. Due to the different interpretation standards and selected samples of general EEG, there are great differences. Generally speaking, the more leads there are, the higher the abnormality rate. People with abnormal EEG generally have lower IQs. The more obvious the IQ impairment of autism, the higher the probability of EEG abnormalities and epilepsy. However, approximately 20%-40% of children develop epilepsy before puberty, and EEG may show no abnormalities;

3. CT and MRI MRI examination results show that the total brainstem area and total pons area of ​​some children with autism are smaller than those of the normal control group of children of the same age, and the midsagittal area of ​​the VI and VII vermiform lobes of the cerebellum is 19% smaller than that of the normal control group. This indicates cerebellar hypoplasia, which may be associated with the occurrence of certain autism disorders;

4.SPECT single photon emission computed tomography SPECT can detect cerebral blood flow. SPECT testing of children with autism found abnormal cerebral blood perfusion, with a positive rate of 75%. It mainly manifests itself in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and multiple subcortical structures, concentrated in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cortex, with the left frontal lobe being the most common. At the same time, the local blood perfusion of the hippocampus is reduced;

5. Brainstem auditory evoked potential The brainstem auditory evoked potential of children with autism is abnormal. There have been reports of abnormalities from waves I to V, with the abnormality rate being as high as 20%-60%. It shows that children with autism have auditory defects and prolonged brainstem conduction time, suggesting that changes in brainstem function may be one of the factors affecting autism symptoms. Impairment of brainstem function can lead to damage to the pathways that transmit information to the brain, which may be one of the reasons for the abnormal development of cognitive, social and language abilities in children with autism.

6. Other examinations include chromosome analysis, intelligence test, etc. as needed.

Autism can affect a child's entire life, so for parents, if you find that your child has autism, it is very necessary to take the child for relevant examinations for autism, and then conduct dialectical treatment to minimize the harm of autism to the child.