Many children with ASDs are able to get support from programs funded through their state or county. Some examples are financial help, education support, medical care, job skills training, and residential or living services. Some supports are available to all children because of federal laws, such as

As soon as the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is made, your child should be referred for intervention services. While speech and occupational therapy are important, the social and communication differences of a child with an ASD need a therapy team. That team should use special intervention

All children have some lab tests at birth and as part of normal checkups. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often need more tests. These tests can help find the cause of the disability or problems related to an ASD that may not be obvious and guide the doctor in treating your child most

Medications are not the primary treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Medications have not been shown to directly improve language or social skills. However, medications may help with behaviors that get in the way of progress in your child's intervention program. Such behaviors include

Going to the doctor can be stressful for any child. For a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there may be additional challenges because of sensory, communication, and other symptoms related to the ASD. Here are some tips to help make visiting the doctor easier.

Any time a child requires a hospital visit, it can cause anxiety for both a parent and the child. This especially may be the case when the visit involves any type of procedure that might require anesthesia. Examples of such procedures are surgery, medical imaging, and certain tests to examine the stomach

Some hospitals allow 1 support person (usually a parent) to go with a child into the operating room or other area where the child is to receive anesthesia. This may be possible for scheduled procedures or surgeries but not for emergency surgery. Check on the policy at your hospital ahead of time. Your

CONNECTED KIDS: This extensive clinical guide to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Connected Kids Program contains an overview of all of the program's component parts, a counseling schedule, ideas for practice implementation, and other supplemental

Now that you are getting older, you have different health needs than you did when you were younger. However, your pediatrician is still there to help you stay healthy.

If your pediatrician isn't sure what the cause of your child's illness or injury is, imaging tests may be needed. Imaging tests are used to “look” inside the body. They can help diagnose injuries and illnesses from broken bones to cancer. Some tests can even find problems before symptoms appear.

Pediatricians use different tests and tools to help them diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. This handout was written by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to answer questions about imaging and medical radiation safety.

While most children in North America receive conventional medicine when they are sick, many parents want to know about natural therapies too. Alternative, complementary, and integrative medicine and folk remedies are some of the words used to describe these different therapies. Read on for more information.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created a series of fact sheets about different surgical and medical pediatric subspecialists to whom your children may be referred. The fact sheets are available on the official AAP Web site for parents: www.HealthyChildren.org.

School health centers are becoming more and more common. Most handle medical emergencies, provide health screenings and refer students to doctors for health problems. A growing number of these centers also offer health services such as immunizations and physical examinations. Therapies for children with

Clinical trials are research studies. They are designed to learn more about ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases. Clinical trials can also help people with chronic (long-term) illnesses find better ways to live each day with their illness.

Athletes may deal with many different types of medical personnel after an injury. Athletes also may be referred by their primary care doctors to a sports medicine doctor or other sports medicine specialists for further evaluation and treatment.