Despite the heightened awareness of autism in recent years, some families are still finding it difficult to get their children recognized as autistic and appropriately diagnosed by doctors.  Doctors are

sometimes hesitant to diagnose children as autism, and may be more likely to classify their behavior as ADHD.  Since autism is often thought of as a lack of development, children who develop quickly and then regress are often misdiagnosed.  This can prove problematic for families with children they suspect to have autism, since autism treatments are more effective the earlier they are performed.  Fortunately, foundations such as the Autism Tree Project and First Five San Diego are dedicated to filling in the gaps.  Autism Tree provides free screenings to help identify children at risk of developing autism, and refers children to specialists in order to receive more concrete diagnoses.  First Five San Diego provides several free services to children under the age of 5.  Autism Tree is actively aware that autism manifests in different ways, and that different forms of autism require different treatments.  These programs also provide support and advice to families of children with autism