Autism Awareness Month: Benefis Pediatrician Offers Evaluations Close to Home

Dr. Jean Moore, Photo credit Parker Ward, Benefis Health System April is Autism Awareness Month, and for Benefis Pediatrician Dr. Jean Moore, it’s the perfect time to talk about early intervention. The screening process often starts with a discussion between a child’s caregiver and their pediatrician. “Acting early is important,” Dr. Moore says. “A child can be diagnosed as early as 18 months old, but in this region, the average age of diagnosis is closer to 4 or 5 years old.” A formal evaluation is needed to obtain an autism diagnosis, and Dr. Moore conducts those evaluations at the Benefis Northwest location, where she sees all her patients. The process usually takes between four to eight weeks from evaluation to official diagnosis, but it can take much longer if families must travel to other Montana cities for an evaluation. A diagnosis is needed for parents and caregivers to access the therapies and services that can improve their child’s well-being. “Many people are fearful about what an autism diagnosis can mean for their child,” Dr. Moore says. “It doesn’t mean they aren’t smart or they can’t learn. It also doesn’t mean that a child won’t fit in socially or have friends.” Autism is a spectrum and not all cases are the same. One in 36 children is on the autism spectrum. The two main categories of symptoms are social and communication and restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Identifying those symptoms is the foundation of the evaluation. Dr. Moore has been passionate about helping patients with autism and their families since the early days of her medical career. She completed special certification training to perform the evaluations and has attended educational conferences with therapists and other specialists from across the state. “There are more therapeutic opportunities here in Great Falls than ever before,” she says. “Families will be amazed at how much progress a child can make with the right therapies.”