A Compassionate Guide to the Autism Diagnostic Process

Why Trust Cadabam' s CDC for Your Child’s Autism Diagnosis?

Choosing the right partner for your child's pediatric assessment for Autism is the most important decision you'll make. At Cadabam' s CDC, we combine decades of expertise with a deeply compassionate approach to ensure your child and family feel supported, understood, and empowered.

A Multidisciplinary Team Offering a 360° Diagnostic Perspective

An accurate autism diagnosis requires more than a single opinion. Our team includes developmental paediatricians, clinical psychologists, neurologists, and therapists who collaborate on every case. This multidisciplinary diagnosis for Autism ensures we look at every facet of your child’s development, leading to a precise, holistic understanding and preventing misdiagnosis.

Child-Friendly Infrastructure for Accurate and Stress-Free Assessments

We know that a clinical environment can be stressful for a child. Our pediatric diagnostic center is designed to be warm, engaging, and welcoming. By creating a comfortable space where your child can be themself, we facilitate more natural interactions and behaviours, which is essential for an accurate child developmental evaluation.

From Diagnosis to a Clear, Personalised Treatment Plan

A diagnosis is not an endpoint; it's the starting point for targeted support. Our process is seamlessly integrated, moving from a comprehensive diagnosis and therapy planning phase directly into creating a customised early intervention program. We partner with you to set meaningful goals for your child’s future.

Over 32+ Years of Specialised Expertise in Neurodevelopmental Care

For over three decades, Cadabam's has been a leader in mental health and neurodevelopmental care. Cadabam' s CDC brings this specialised legacy to paediatric care, offering unparalleled expertise in developmental disorder diagnosis and intervention. You can trust that our methods are evidence-based, refined, and delivered with empathy.

Recognising Early Signs of Autism

As a parent, you are the expert on your child. Noticing early signs is the first step toward seeking a developmental screening for Autism. While every child is unique, certain patterns can indicate the need for a professional evaluation.

Developmental and Motor Delays

These can include not meeting typical milestones like sitting, crawling, or walking at the expected age, or having unusual motor mannerisms. We help you learn how to identify developmental delays and understand their significance.

Atypical Behaviours or Sensory Responses

This might manifest as repetitive movements (rocking, spinning), an intense need for routine and sameness, or extreme reactions to sensory input like loud noises, bright lights, textures of food, or clothing.

Speech, Feeding, or Communication Challenges

Noticeable signs include delayed speech, regression of language skills, difficulty with back-and-forth conversation, not responding to their name, or limited use of gestures like pointing or waving. Feeding challenges related to texture or taste are also common.

Co-Occurring or Associated Difficulties

Children with autism may also experience other challenges, such as ADHD, anxiety, sleep disturbances, or learning disabilities. A thorough early intervention assessment will evaluate for these as well.

A Step-by-Step Look at the Diagnostic Process at CadabamsCDC

We believe in a transparent and collaborative diagnostic process for children, ensuring you are informed and involved every step of the way.

Step 1 - Initial Consultation and Developmental Screening

Your journey begins with a detailed consultation where you can share your concerns. We conduct an initial neurodevelopmental screening to get a baseline understanding of your child’s strengths and challenges across communication, social, motor, and cognitive domains.

Step 2 - Detailed Medical & Developmental History Review

We take a comprehensive look at your child’s medical history, birth history, and developmental milestones. Information from parents, caregivers, and teachers provides invaluable context for our evaluation.

Step 3 - Physical, Neurological & Behavioural Examination

A developmental paediatrician conducts a physical and neurological exam to rule out other medical conditions and assess your child’s overall health and motor skills.

Step 4 - Observational and Standardised Diagnostic Tests

This is the core of the evaluation. Our clinicians use "gold standard" tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). These involve play-based activities and structured conversations to observe your child’s social interaction, communication, and behaviour in real-time.

Step 5 - Collaborative Diagnosis & Goal Setting with Families

After the assessments, our multidisciplinary team meets to discuss the findings and arrive at a consensus. We then meet with you to explain the diagnosis clearly, answer all your questions, and collaboratively create an initial set of goals for your child’s diagnosis and therapy planning.

Understanding the Role of the DSM in Autism Diagnosis

The DSM diagnosis for Autism refers to the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). This manual is the standard used by clinicians in the United States and many other countries to diagnose ASD.

Beyond the Primary Diagnosis: Understanding the Whole Child

The DSM-5 helps clinicians do more than just confirm a diagnosis. It requires them to specify the severity of social communication challenges and restricted, repetitive behaviours. It also helps in understanding the DSM diagnosis by detailing specifiers, such as whether it's accompanied by intellectual or language impairment.

Identifying Co-Occurring Conditions Using DSM-5 Criteria

The DSM-5 framework is crucial for identifying conditions that often co-occur with autism. A thorough evaluation at CadabamsCDC uses these criteria to screen for associated disorders, ensuring a complete diagnostic picture.

Common Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Anxiety and Mood Disorders
• Intellectual Developmental Disorder
• Language Disorders
• Sleep-Wake Disorders

The Power of a Unified, Collaborative Approach

Our team uses the DSM-5 as a common language to ensure every specialist—from the paediatrician to the educator—is aligned in their understanding of your child's unique profile, leading to more targeted and effective interventions.

Understanding the ICD Classification for Autism

Alongside the DSM, the ICD diagnosis for Autism is another critical component. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD), maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the global standard for diagnostic health information.

What an ICD Diagnosis Means for Families

An ICD diagnosis is primarily used for health management, record-keeping, and insurance purposes. It assigns a specific alphanumeric code to the diagnosis, which ensures that your child’s medical records are understood by healthcare providers and systems worldwide.

Key ICD-10 & ICD-11 Codes Explained

• ICD-10 Codes for Autism: Under the older ICD-10 system, autism fell under code F84.0 (Autistic Disorder). Other related conditions had separate codes.
• ICD-11 Classification for Autism: The newer ICD-11 classification for Autism is more aligned with the DSM-5. The primary code is 6A02 (Autism Spectrum Disorder), which can be further specified based on the level of intellectual and functional language impairment.

The Benefits of ICD-11: A More Precise Picture

ICD-11 offers a more nuanced and detailed way to describe an individual’s diagnosis. This improved precision helps in tracking health statistics, conducting research, and ensuring your child's therapy plan is based on a highly specific diagnostic understanding.

How CadabamsCDC Ensures ICD Accuracy

Our clinicians are proficient in both DSM-5 and the latest ICD-11 classification for Autism. We ensure your child's diagnosis is documented accurately using both systems, providing you with the official documentation needed for school support, insurance claims, and other services.

From Diagnosis to Development: Your Child’s Journey Forward

A diagnosis is not a label; it’s a roadmap. It unlocks the door to specialised support that can help your child thrive.

Early Intervention: The Critical Next Step

Research overwhelmingly shows that early, intensive intervention leads to the best long-term outcomes. Our early intervention assessment swiftly transitions into a dynamic support program designed to build foundational skills at a critical stage of brain development.

Customised Paediatric Therapy Plans

There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to autism. Your child's plan is uniquely theirs, drawing from evidence-based therapies like:

• Occupational Therapy to improve sensory processing, daily living skills, and motor coordination.
• Speech-Language Therapy to enhance communication, from non-verbal cues to conversation.
• Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and other behavioural therapies to build positive behaviours and social skills.
• Special Education to support academic learning in a structured environment.

Family Coaching & Home-Based Support

We empower you, the parent, to be your child’s best advocate and co-therapist. Our family coaching programs provide you with practical strategies to support your child’s development at home, turning everyday moments into learning opportunities.

Meet the Experts Behind the Diagnosis

Our strength lies in the collective expertise and compassion of our team.

Developmental Paediatricians & Neurologists

These medical doctors lead the diagnostic process, conducting physical exams, ruling out other conditions, and overseeing your child's overall health and well-being.

Occupational, Physiotherapists & Speech-Language Pathologists

These therapists are experts in functional development. They assess and treat challenges related to sensory processing, motor skills, daily activities, feeding, and all forms of communication. We have Occupational, Physiotherapists & Speech-Language Pathologists on our team.

Clinical Psychologists & Special Educators

Our psychologists administer key diagnostic tests and address behavioural and emotional challenges. Special educators help translate the diagnostic findings into effective learning strategies for school and home.

Expert Quotes & Insights

"An accurate diagnosis is the most powerful tool we can give a family. It replaces confusion with clarity and fear with a plan of action." - Dr. [Name], Head of Developmental Paediatrics

Real-Life Journeys: From Diagnosis to Progress

Every child's journey is unique, but the goal is always the same: to help them reach their full potential.

Case Study 1 - Early Diagnosis and Improved Outcomes

Aarav, age 3, was non-verbal and showed intense distress in new situations. After a multidisciplinary diagnosis for Autism at CadabamsCDC, he began an intensive early intervention program. Within a year, he started using single words, could tolerate trips to the grocery store, and began interacting with peers in his playgroup.

Case Study 2 - A Path from Confusion to Clarity

Priya’s parents were told her social shyness at age 5 was "just a phase." A comprehensive child developmental evaluation at our center identified Autism Spectrum Disorder without language impairment. Her new therapy plan focused on social skills and emotional regulation, helping her make her first real friend at school.

Family Testimonial - “Diagnosis Was the Beginning, Not the End”

"Walking into CadabamsCDC, we were lost and scared. Walking out with a diagnosis was surprisingly a relief. We finally had a name for what we were seeing and a team that knew exactly how to help. For us, the diagnosis wasn't the end of a chapter; it was the start of a hopeful new one. Thank you for giving us a clear path forward." - Mother of a 4-year-old.