MRI for ASD?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone found it useful to get an MRI done for their ASD child?

[Anonymous]

An MRI cannot diagnosis an ASD nor will it show anything. Its not an easy thing for a child to sit through and there really isn't a benefit unless there is some reason to rule out a brain tumor, such as a sudden change in behavior. If you are talking about a functional MRI those are controversial and not diagnostic for ASDs.

[Anonymous]

We did one for my ASD kid. I had to be talked into it at the time. I think the intent was to rule some things out - tumors, brain malformations, etc? I think sometimes they can see signs of seizure activity (which is very common in autism) as well? My kid's MRI came back completely normal, so it was not helpful in our case.

[Anonymous]

Seizure activity will not show up on an MRI. You need an EEG for that. An MRI may show a reason for seizures, if the person is experiencing them.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your responses. Our neurologist recommended an MRI with spectroscopy. I'm not sure how that differs from a regular MRI, but our neurologist said it would measure chemical imbalances? Our neurologist said she doesn't expect to find any brain abnormalities, but thought it would be a good idea to rule it out.