Help on diagnosing autism.

I agree about the need for early diagnosis. My grandson is eight and has high functioning ASD. His therapist and his parents spend a lot of time actively teaching social skills, explaining how to play, talking about how to respond. He is now able to go down to play independently with other children from the block of flats and even went to the shop to buy milk on his own.
If they hadn't identified the issues then they couldn't target the intervention appropriately.
In the end it is about what you do rather than the label, but you can waste a lot of time and effort unless the problems have been properly identified.

My DGS is five. He has recently been diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. The family have moved house so that he can attend a small school where his needs are much better catered for If my DD hadn't pushed for him to be assessed, his old school would not have had him assessed until age nine. My DD didn't want a label for him so soon but as it is she is now getting the help she needs. Today the educational psychologist is doing a home visit to give the family some suggestions and advice about how to manage his behaviour at home. We are so pleased that he has been diagnosed as, from this point on his behaviour will be better managed, and we will be able to teach him how to conduct himself.