Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Parents Should Know About the Evaluation Process
An autism diagnosis covers a spectrum of children with a vast range of skills and impairments. As such, the developmental disorder can look considerably different from child to child. The diversity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can make it challenging to diagnose correctly; sometimes, autistic children are mistakenly diagnosed with another disorder, such as ADHD, or are told that nothing is wrong. Other times, children are diagnosed as autistic, when in actuality, they are not.
Furthermore, sometimes individuals have co-occurring conditions that are not properly evaluated for that get missed. Research has found that ASD can be detected at 18 months or younger, and by age 2, a diagnosis from an individual well trained to administer the gold standard in ASD evaluations, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS 2) is considered extremely reliable.
It’s crucial for parents to understand what the components of an autism diagnosis should consist of: What information should a clinician evaluating your child consider? How can you know your clinician is adhering to best practices in doing an autism assessment?
Understanding how a child is diagnosed with ASD is critical for parents, educators, therapists, and more. Today, we’ll cover the purpose and process of the diagnostic evaluation process for ASD, shedding light on what the evaluator looks for, what areas are evaluated, the tests involved, and what you can expect during and after the evaluation.
What Is the Purpose of a Diagnostic Evaluation?
As there are no lab or other medical tests that can be used to diagnose ASD, we focus on behaviors observed by parents or a child’s teacher. To help us determine if one has ASD — often referred to as being “on the spectrum” — we must observe the child and evaluate their development in several key areas, including:
Language and communication
Social awareness and interaction
Restricted interests
Repetitive behaviors
The evaluation process discovers the nature of a child’s potential symptoms of ASD: how many they may have, and how significantly they impact their ability to fully interact with their environment.
How Are Symptoms of ASD Evaluated?
The evaluation of symptoms should include two key components: a parent/caregiver interview and direct observation. The parents or caregivers are interviewed about the child’s development — from birth to time of evaluation — with a focus on symptoms of ASD. During this time, the interview may explore pregnancy and birth, health, and school history, as well as behavioral and emotional health and other details that can affect the child’s behavior or development. The child must also be observed by an evaluator with specialized training who is equipped to determine if symptoms reported in the interview are visible.
The overarching goal is to gather enough information about the child to understand how they function in various environments. The professional conducting the autism evaluation compiles all information and applies their training to determine the diagnosis.
What Tests Are Conducted During a Diagnostic Evaluation for ASD?
ASD is a developmental disability; evaluations typically include tests of language, intelligence, behavior, and adaptive behavior. Some tests are given directly to the child, while others are forms completed by the parent(s) or caregiver(s) or teachers. Depending on the child, other areas of evaluation may include:
Attention
Memory
Motor functioning
Academic achievement
While evaluation of these areas is not always possible or necessary, additional tests can help to better understand a child’s current level of functioning and guide treatment and education decisions.
How Long Does a Diagnostic Evaluation for ASD Take?
A typical evaluation lasts around 3 hours for young children (under 5) and up to 6 for older children. Breaks are provided regularly to keep children comfortable and maintain optimal cooperation for all. The evaluator usually spends several hours after the assessment to interpret all tests and write up a report.
What Happens After?
Parents or caregivers attend a feedback meeting after the initial visit in which the evaluator reviews the results and explains the diagnosis, recommends appropriate treatments, and discusses ways to help the child at home and school. The evaluator also evaluates for common comorbid conditions (e.g., OCD, ADHD, Tics/Tourette’s Syndrome, and anxiety disorders). Additional evaluations may be recommended at this time that employs the expertise of an occupational therapist or speech-language pathologist.
As our practitioners know, a comprehensive evaluation results in an increased understanding of your child’s strengths and challenges, an accurate diagnosis that determines the severity of the condition, and an informed direction regarding treatment and planning. For more information about autism spectrum disorder testing in Gainesville, FL, reach out to The Florida OCD Autism and Anxiety Treatment Center (FLOAAT Center) today.
