Of every 150 children born in the United States, at least one will be diagnosed with autism. While PGA pro Ernie Els knows exactly what to do on a golf course, he was clueless as to how to proceed when his two-year-old son, Ben wasn't walking. When Ben began curiously flapping his hands, Els and his wife took him to doctor after doctor before they got the diagnosis...Ben had the developmental disorder known as autism. It took a long time to recognize that autism was the problem. Most autistic children are diagnosed between the ages of four and six, despite displaying symptoms as early as 18 months! But because early intervention is important for improvement, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that ALL children be screened twice for autism...once at 18 months, and again at two years. Unfortunately, diagnosing autism is not as easy as administering a blood test or x-ray. Instead, diagnosis is based on observations of a child's behavior, and is usually made with the help of a standard screening test. One such test, the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, or CHAT, utilizes a two-part questionnaire for the child's parents and family pediatrician. CHAT is used for 18-month olds. The Autism Screening Questionnaire, meanwhile, utilizes a forty item screening scale to diagnose slightly older children. If your pediatrician suspects autism after such a test, than he or she will recommend that your child visit a professional who specializes in diagnosing this type of disorder. But this clinical psychiatrist, neurologist, or developmental pediatrician may not make an instant diagnosis. Usually the specialist will first look at your family's complete medical records and then physically examine your child. Then, working with a team of other professionals, the doctor may assess your child's hearing, speaking abilities, social skills, and academic behavior. Only after such careful screening will a diagnosis of autism be made. The process can be labor intensive and time consuming. To ensure that your OWN child's screening goes off without a hitch, work closely with the medical team to answer questions honestly about your child's behavior. Such parent/medical team cooperation is absolutely vital to an accurate diagnosis and early intervention treatment.