I love the internet-the world is literally at our fingertips.  I have learned so much about so many things using websites such as Youtube, Lynda (now LinkedIn Learning) and my all time favorite: 

                                    Google

This is a magical site that takes my thoughts and finds information to either validate or better yet, give me an even better idea!  I have searched things such as:

-Things to do in New Orleans

-Better ways to save money

-Gift ideas for an eleven year old

-How to find eligible single men (did I just type that?!?)

Lately though, I have had parents in our office with serious concerns about their child in mainly 2 areas:

-Language delay (my child is not talking)

-Autism (Do you think my child has autism?)

Many times (not always) after a few minutes of conversation it comes out that the parent has read tons of information on the internet and now they are convinced that the child has Autism ( I hear this one the most).

Please hear me when I say this: Google is great for almost anything-but it CANNOT diagnose your child with a language delay or Autism.  I am so grateful for wonderful websites such as Autism Speaks and Autism Society of America that give parents and professionals so much useful information.  But if you have a concern about your child’s language skills- go to a Speech-Language Pathologist to see if your child has a language delay and share with her or him about your concerns of Autism.  Talk to your Pediatrician about your concerns and if this is keeping you up at night ask for a referral to a Pediatric Neurologist or a Psychologist that can give you answers.  Sometimes it can be more comforting to say you are “researching” or “gathering information” rather than getting Autism or a language delay diagnosed or ruled out. But trust me as a person that works with children everyday-the earlier you get the answers, the better.  Go to the professionals for the answers you are looking for and not the internet.  You will be so glad you did.