has my son got autisum

my 5year old son has had pshchologist obseve him in school and also school are saying he lacks in social and communication  g.g dsnt know how to play and all say there defentlty something there and are looking at that he may have autisum has he? im going out my mind with worry

[Jessica L Thomason Sassi, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

It’s not possible to say whether a diagnosis of autism is appropriate without an in-person evaluation by a qualified professional.  I presume that the psychologist that evaluated him at his school provided some type of summary report or recommendations for further evaluation, so if you haven’t already been provided a copy of that report, I would recommend that you ask the school for a copy.  The diagnostic criteria for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (including Autism and several other disorders) include delays in language development, social skills, and typically the presence of severely restricted interests and/or stereotyped behaviors, so the psychologist’s report should indicate which of those characteristics your son shows and how (hopefully, s/he will have cited some specific examples of his your son’s behavior does or does not conform to those diagnostic criteria).   If the psychologist hired by the school did not do a formal evaluation, you should probably explain your concerns to your pediatrician and ask his/her opinion on whether it would be a good idea for you to pursue a more formal evaluation (and rule in or out a diagnosis of autism).