Do not wait to test until your child enters kindergarten, Paulk said. The first place to turn for help with your preschooler is your pediatrician. Free testing and diagnosis is available for children at least 3 years old through your local elementary school or school district. Then comes the hard part. Diagnosis of a disability can be devastating, even if professionals deliver the news with sensitivity.
Some parents compare it to a debilitating loss.
Suddenly everything with your child has changed. Like coping with loss, there often are several stages that precede acceptance of a disability. There is denial, said Bruce and Shirley Fett, who have two autistic sons in San Diego city schools. At first, the Fetts said, they believed the problem would be fixed if they were more assertive. Then there is anger.