Parents often call our Autism Helpline because they think that their child may have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some parents have concerns about their child’s development, or perhaps a professional, such as a health visitor, thinks that their child is experiencing difficulties.

We know that this can be a really worrying time, and we’re here to help. You can contact our Autism Helpline for information, advice and support. Tel: 0808 800 4104 (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm).

Could it be an ASD?

If you only know a little bit about ASD, it will be helpful to read one of our our leaflets, What is autism? or What is Asperger syndrome? (Asperger syndrome is a form of autism.) These will tell you more about the characteristics of ASD.

Some of the main signs that a child may have an ASD include:

  • not drawing their parents’ or others’ attention to objects or events, for example pointing at a toy or a book; or drawing attention to something that is happening nearby (or a child may eventually do this, but later than expected)
  • carrying out activities in a repetitive way, for example always playing the same game in the same way, or repeatedly lining toys up in a particular order
  • resistance to change or doing things differently
  • emerging difficulties with social interaction, social communication and social imagination. These are the three main areas of difficulty experienced by all people with an ASD and are sometimes called the ‘triad of impairments’
  • behaviour such as biting, pinching, kicking, pica (putting inedible items in the mouth), or self-injurious behaviour.


Children can be diagnosed with an ASD when they’re quite young – in some cases from the age of two upwards. But not everyone is diagnosed early in life. It’s quite common for older children, and indeed adults, to be diagnosed with an ASD – particularly if they have a more ‘subtle’ form of ASD such as Asperger syndrome.

Getting a diagnosis

What you have read may seem to reflect at least some of what you see in your child. How do you find out for sure whether your child has an ASD?

The only way to be certain that your child has an ASD is to get a formal diagnosis. 

The first person to approach about getting a diagnosis is your GP (though if your child is pre-school age and you see a health visitor, you can speak to them). 

See our web page Getting a diagnosis for your child for more information about what happens next.

If you have an older child and you're wondering how to talk about diagnosis with them, see Autism and Asperger syndrome: broaching the subject for some suggestions.