ASD Assessments

Key Assessment Terms and Concepts

Behavioral Assessment:

is a systematic way to evaluate and measure a person's behaviors, traits, and competencies. It can be used in clinical, educational, and corporate settings.

Behavioral assessment is highly relevant in education because it allows educators to understand the underlying reasons behind a student's behavior, enabling them to develop targeted interventions and support strategies to address specific challenges, ultimately improving student learning and classroom management by identifying the function of a behavior and providing tailored support based on individual needs.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM):

is a reference book that defines and classifies mental health disorders. It's used by clinicians to diagnose and treat mental disorders.

The DSM-5 is a diagnostic manual that lists criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The DSM-5's criteria for ASD are relevant to many aspects of people's lives, including treatment, education, and access to care.

Neuropsychological Assessment:

A neuropsychological assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a comprehensive evaluation of a person's cognitive abilities, social skills, and behavior. It's performed by a trained professional, such as a neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist.

A neuropsychological assessment is important for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because it helps identify strengths and weaknesses, plan treatment, and monitor changes over time.

Range:

The range of scores for autism assessments varies by the specific assessment used. These assessments help determine if someone has autism and the severity of their condition.

In an autism assessment, the "range" refers to the spectrum of scores on a particular test, where a higher score generally indicates a greater likelihood of autistic traits, with different ranges signifying varying levels of severity.

Standard Score:

A standard score in an autism assessment is a score that compares a child's performance to other children of the same age. Standard scores are used to determine if a child's abilities fall within normal limits or indicate a concern.

A standard score is highly relevant in autism assessments because it allows clinicians to compare an individual's performance on a test to a normative population of the same age, providing a standardized way to interpret the severity of autistic traits and behaviors, regardless of the individual's developmental level or other factors; essentially, a standard score indicates how far above or below average a person's score is compared to others in their age group, which is crucial for making accurate diagnoses and determining intervention needs.

Criterion Assessment:

is a way to evaluate a student's learning against a set of predetermined standards. CRAs are used in schools to measure a student's progress toward learning objectives.

Criterion-referenced assessments (CRAs) are relevant because they help teachers and students understand what is being learned and how to improve learning.

Diagnostic Procedures:

A diagnostic procedure is a medical test or examination that helps identify a disease or condition.

Diagnostic procedures for autism are highly relevant because they involve a comprehensive evaluation of a person's social interaction, communication skills, and behavior through standardized assessments and observations, allowing a qualified professional to determine if the individual meets the criteria for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis; this is crucial for accessing appropriate interventions and support services tailored to their specific needs, as there is no single medical test to definitively diagnose autism treatments.

Percentile:

In autism assessments, percentiles compare a person's scores to others of the same age or developmental stage. Percentile scores range from 1–99, with 50th percentile indicating a score that is average or better.

Percentiles are used in autism assessments to compare a person's scores to the typical scores of non-autistic people. This helps to determine if a person's scores are more consistent with those of autistic people.

Standard Deviation:

Standard deviation (SD) is a statistical measurement that compares a test score to a normative sample. It's used in autism assessments to help determine if a score is average or falls outside of the normal range.

In autism assessments, standard deviation is crucial because it allows clinicians to compare an individual's score on a standardized test to the typical population, indicating how far away their score is from the average, thus helping to identify potential signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when a score falls significantly outside the normal range (typically considered more than one standard deviation below the mean).

Standardized Assessments:

Standardized assessments for autism are tests that are used to evaluate a person's behavior and social interactions. They are administered and scored in a consistent way.

Standardized assessments are highly relevant for diagnosing and understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because they provide a structured way to observe and measure specific behaviors associated with autism, allowing professionals to compare an individual's performance to normative data and identify potential areas of concern related to social communication, play, and repetitive behaviors, which are crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Overview of ASD Assessment Process

ASD Observations
(Best Practices)

ASD observations in best practice refer to a structured, systematic process of observing an individual suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during a clinical evaluation, using standardized tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to gather detailed information about their social interaction, communication skills, and repetitive behaviors through play-based activities and conversation, allowing a qualified professional to assess the presence and severity of ASD symptoms; this typically includes direct observation of the individual's behavior, alongside interviews with parents and caregivers to gain a comprehensive picture of their functioning.

ASD observations, particularly through standardized tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), are crucial because they provide a direct, first-hand look at an individual's social communication and behavior in a structured setting, allowing clinicians to accurately assess potential signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by observing their spontaneous responses and interactions, which is essential for a comprehensive diagnosis and effective intervention planning; this is especially important as ASD can manifest differently across individuals and developmental levels.

Best Practices & Procedures

● Multidisciplinary Team: Utilize a team of professionals from various disciplines such as
psychologists, pediatricians, speech therapists, and educators to provide a holistic assessment. Team input is detrimental to creating a student's individualized plan to ensure the student is provided with the best programming available.

● Parent/Caregiver Input: Gather detailed information from parents or caregivers about the child's
developmental history, behaviors, and concerns. It is important for parents or caregivers to share information about their child to ensure that the school and home team are able to work together collaboratively to create an effective plan.

● Developmental History: Collect a detailed developmental history, including milestones,
regression (if any), family history of ASD, and any previous assessments or interventions. Sharing the developmental history of the child is important to ensure that the team is able to create and provide a program that is effective for the student.

● Behavioral Assessments: Employ standardized behavioral assessment tools such as the
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale
(CARS) to assess social communication, repetitive behaviors, and sensory issues. Administering behavioral assessments to a student who is being or has been assessed and diagnosed with Autism is important to the team for them to create/implement sensory, behavioral, or communication systems that work for the student.

● Language Assessment: Evaluate the child's language abilities using standardized measures of
receptive and expressive language skills. Language assessments are detrimental to be administered with students who are diagnosed or being assessed for autism. These assessments will measure what areas of communication are areas of concern and programming that can be created for the student.

● Cognitive Assessment: Administer standardized tests of cognitive abilities (e.g., IQ tests) to
assess intellectual functioning and identify strengths and weaknesses. Cognitive assessments are important to measure the student's IQ and for the team to work together to create programming that works with the student's strengths and weaknesses.

● Adaptive Functioning Assessment: Assess the child's adaptive functioning in daily life
activities, such as self-care, communication, and socialization. Adaptive functioning is a group of skills that are needed to become independent and allow the student to grow and to function independently into adulthood.

● Sensory Assessment: Evaluate sensory processing issues using standardized tools to identify
sensory sensitivities or atypical responses to sensory stimuli. Sensory Assessments are administered to show what the student needs to regulate their anxiety and/or behaviors and allows the team to create a sensory diet specifically for that child.

● Screening for Co-occurring Conditions: Screen for common co-occurring conditions such as
ADHD, anxiety disorders, or intellectual disabilities that may affect the assessment and treatment
of ASD. These screening are important to determine if there are other areas that the student is struggling in. Most ASD students also have diagnoses of ADHD, intellectually disabled, and/or generalized anxiety disorder.

● Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA): Conduct an FBA to identify the function of
challenging behaviors and develop effective behavior intervention strategies. If a student presents with severe behaviors and/or behaviors that impede his/her learning or that of others, an FBA is detrimental for the team to find the antecedent, create a plan, implement it, and collect data on how the student responds to the plan and make changes as needed.

Interpreting & Applying Test Results

A comprehensive psychoeducational report is crucial for planning and delivering targeted services because it provides a detailed picture of an individual's strengths and weaknesses across cognitive, academic, and behavioral domains, allowing professionals to create tailored interventions and support strategies that address their unique needs, maximizing the effectiveness of interventions and ensuring appropriate accommodations are implemented.

When sharing case results with families and other service providers, case managers should:

Prioritize clear and concise communication
Obtain informed consent
Focus on strengths and progress
Be respectful and empathetic
Maintain confidentiality

Data from a report on ASD needs can be linked to EBPs like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Visual Supports, and Social Narratives to address needs by: identifying specific areas of difficulty based on data analysis, tailoring intervention plans using the EBPs to target those areas, and then monitoring progress through data collection to ensure the intervention is effectively addressing the identified need.

Relevant Information

When planning a series of assessments for diagnosing a child with Autism Spectrum Distorder, more is better. The more information you have about the child, the more services, planning, and taught skills will be available to the child.

Resources for Parents, Educators, and Families

Autism Screening and Assessment

Autism screening is usually administered by a pediatrician during a routine well-child checkup. The doctor may observe the child or ask you questions about his or her behaviors at home and while interacting with other children on the playground. The purpose of an autism screening is to identify common early signs of autism. The following are early signs of autism, however, they do not necessarily need to be present.

Autism Assessment and Intervention Resources

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development defines autism as a complex neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in life and affects how a person acts, learns, and interacts with others. Though autism presents a variety of daily challenges, many autistic people don’t see it as an illness or disability, but as a different way of experiencing the world.

Criteria and Tools Used in an Autism Assessment

An autism diagnosis should be based on criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11), according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Although many people (including most autistic people) do not consider autism to be a disorder, and autism is not a disease, these manuals are the standard classification systems used by health care professionals to assess and diagnose autism.

Clinical Testing and Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder - CDC

There are many tools to assess ASD in young children, but no single tool should be used as the basis for diagnosis. Diagnostic tools usually rely on two main sources of information—parents' or caregivers' descriptions of their child's development and a professional's observation of the child's behavior.

Adult Diagnosis Tool Kit - Milestones Autism Resources

There has been a significant increase in adults seeking an autism diagnosis in the last few years. This increase is a result of multiple factors such as better awareness and acceptance of what autism is, including how broad the spectrum truly is. Medical providers have also gotten better at identifying people of color and females, who were largely underrepresented in the autism community. Lastly, with the changes to the diagnostic criteria, more individuals who are labeled "mild" now qualify for a formal diagnosis. This has created a surge in adults questioning whether they should pursue a formal assessment and diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Resources

Autism Research Institute. (2024). Screening & Assessment. Autism Research Institute. https://autism.org/screening-assessment/

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Autism Assessment and Intervention Resources. (2019). Wpspublish.com. https://www.wpspublish.com/content/research-brief/autism-assessments

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National Autistic Society. (2024). Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment. Www.autism.org.uk. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/assessment-and-diagnosis/criteria-and-tools-used-in-an-autism-assessment

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 16). Clinical Testing and Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). https://www.cdc.gov/autism/hcp/diagnosis/index.html

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Adult Diagnosis Tool Kit. (2025). Milestones.org. https://www.milestones.org/resources/tool-kits/adult-diagnosis-tool-kit

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What is a Psychoeducational Assessment: The Benefits and Process. (2024). VMA Psych. https://www.vmapsych.com/resources/what-is-a-psychoeducational-assessment%3A-the-benefits-and-process

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Commission for Case Manager Certification. (2018). Introduction to the Case Management Body of Knowledge | CCMC’s Case Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK). Cmbodyofknowledge.com. https://cmbodyofknowledge.com/content/introduction-case-management-body-knowledge

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Chung, K., Chung, E., & Lee, H. (2024). Behavioral Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Brief Review and Guidelines With a Specific Focus on Applied Behavior Analysis. Soa.cheongsonyeonjeongsinuihak, 35(1), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.230019

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