Autism Books in Pediatricians' Offices Should Be Mandatory

Not all children visit libraries, not all parents attend child development classes, but it is a safe assumption to say that majority of parents take their children to see a doctor. The doctor, whether located at a public health facility or a private clinic, is usually the first step in the process of early identification of autism. If doctors usually spend the typical 15 minutes checking for the common cold or infection, they may overlook the parent’s concerns of their child’s late speech-language development. Some physicians disregard parent concerns with the standard “wait and see” response resulting in the elimination of critical time for early intervention. It would be beneficial to both the pediatrician and parent if children’s books about autism were in the waiting room for parents to read. The parent could then decide whether or not the behaviors in the book were relevant to discuss with the doctor, ensuing in a more proactive response from the doctor. Hopefully, the pediatrician would refer the family to a pediatric speech-language pathologist to rule out speech-language delays or autism characteristics. Although a speech-language pathologist cannot diagnose autism, a well trained pediatric speech-language pathologist can determine if autism behaviors are present and refer for further assessment from a specialist. There are standardized tests and checklists available for pediatricians to use to refer for autism assessments and treatments, but many pediatricians say they are not familiar with them or have not the time to administer them. As healthcare services decline due to limited preventative education/ awareness, intervention, and funding, parents must take an aggressive approach with their children’s health and development by requesting mandatory autism children’s books in pediatricians’ offices.