How to Know If Your Child Has Autism

Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls according to data from the CDC. That’s because the traditional signs of autism are often difficult to detect depending on the gender a child is assigned at birth. Our guest explains the signs parents should look for and what to do if they think their little one may be showing signs of autism. Jessica speaks with Dr. Christopher J. Smith, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center's Chief Science Officer, to learn more about the different ways autism can present in children. Host:Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She loves to spend time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, working towards normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.Links: Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center: Resources and GuidesArizona Early Intervention ProgramThe Parenting Brief: Early Intervention for AutismStrong Families AZHost: Jessica Stewart-GonzalezGuest: Christopher J. Smith, Ph.D.