(name of toy)!" Watch the childs face. Does the child look across to see what you are pointing at?2. Say to the child, "Wheres the light?", or "Show me the light." Does the child point with their index finger at the light (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1996)?The CHAT is used only as a screening test for toddlers. If the toddler tests positive on the CHAT it only warrants more testing to determine the severity of the autism.The CHAT is an excellent way for parents to confirm any fears they may about their child, but what signs should they take notice to? Parents of autistic children in America were asked by the Autism Society of America to evaluate their children for a week and take notes on their behavior as opposed to that of a normal childs behavior. From the parents assessment the Autism Society of America obtained a list of abnormal behavior. The following list portrays some of the parents findings:1. Inappropriate laughing or giggling.2. No real fear of danger.3. Apparent insensitivity to pain.4. Difficulty in interacting with others.5. May prefer to be alone.6. Does not make eye contact with parent/caregiver.7. Lack of speech and/or had words and lost them.This generic testing has actually proven very beneficial. A concerned parent may first want to contact the Autism Society of America before they wish to see a general practitioner or psychologist and this simple list is most of the time just what they need (Autism Society of America, 1999).Other tests have been conducted to assess the different aspects of autism. A recent study was completed in the selective attention deficits of persons with autism. A forced-choice reaction time (RT) was used to assess the filtering component of selective attention in mental-age matched groups of persons with autism as compared to mental retardation and normality (no handicap). The RTs of he persons with autism improved relative to the other groups in the presence of the win...
