Best Practice Guidelines for Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
The number of children identified with autism has more than doubled over the last decade. School-based and mental health professionals are now being asked to participate in the screening, assessment, and educational planning for children and youth on the spectrum more than at any other time in the recent past. Moreover, the call for greater use of evidence-based practice has increased demands that professionals be prepared to recognize the presence of risk factors, engage in case finding, and be knowledgeable about “best practice” guidelines in assessment and intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to ensure that students are being identified and provided with the appropriate programs and services.
Best practice guidelines are developed using the best available research evidence in order to provide professionals with evidence-informed recommendations that support practice and guide practitioner decisions regarding assessment and intervention. Best practice requires the integration of professional expertise, each student’s unique strengths and needs, family values and preferences, and the best research evidence (rigorous peer-review) into the delivery of services. Professionals and families collaborate and work together as partners to prioritize domains of functioning for assessment and intervention planning. Best practices for school-based practitioners are best practices for students and their families.
Comprehensive Developmental Assessment
The primary goals of conducting an autism spectrum assessment are to determine the presence and severity of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), develop interventions for intervention/treatment planning, and collect data that will help with progress monitoring. Professionals must also determine whether an ASD has been overlooked or misclassified, describe co-occurring (comorbid) disorders, or identify an alternative classification. There are several important considerations that should inform the assessment process. First, a developmental perspective is critically important. While the core symptoms of are present during early childhood, ASD is a lifelong disability that affects the individual’s adaptive functioning from childhood through adulthood. Utilizing a developmental assessment framework provides a yardstick for understanding the severity and quality of delays or atypicality. Because ASD affects multiple developmental domains, the use of an interdisciplinary team constitutes best practice for assessment and diagnosis of ASD. A team approach is essential for establishing a developmental and psychosocial profile of the child in order to guide intervention planning. The following principles should guide the assessment process.
- Children who screen positive for ASD should be referred for a comprehensive assessment. Although screening tools have utility in broadly identifying children who are at-risk for an autism spectrum condition, they are not recommended as stand alone diagnostic instruments or as a substitute for a more inclusive assessment.
- Assessment should involve careful attention to the signs and symptoms consistent with ASD as well as other coexisting childhood disorders.
- When a student is suspected of having an ASD, a review of his or her developmental history in areas such as speech, communication, social and play skills is an important first step in the assessment process.
- A family medical history and review of psychosocial factors that may play a role in the child’s development is a significant component of the assessment process.
- The integration of information from multiple sources will strengthen the reliability of the assessment results.
- Evaluation of academic achievement should be included in assessment and intervention planning to address learning and behavioral concerns in the child’s overall school functioning.
- Assessment procedures should be designed to assist in the development of instructional objectives and intervention strategies based on the student’s unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
- Because impairment in communication and social reciprocity are core features of ASD, a comprehensive developmental assessment should include both domains
- Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (RRB) are a defining feature of ASD and should be a focus of assessment.
A comprehensive developmental assessment approach
requires the use of multiple measures including, but not limited to, verbal
reports, direct observation, direct interaction and evaluation, and third-party
reports. Assessment is a continuous process,
rather than a series of separate actions, and procedures may overlap and take
place in tandem. While specific activities of the assessment process
will vary and depend on the child’s age, history, referral questions, and any
previous evaluations and assessments, the following components should be
included in a best practice assessment and evaluation of ASD in school-age children.
- Record review
- Developmental and medical history
- Medical screening and/or evaluation
- Parent/caregiver interview
- Parent/teacher ratings of social competence/interaction
- Direct child observation
- Cognitive assessment
- Academic assessment
- Adaptive behavior assessment
- Social communication and language assessment
- Assessment of RRB (including sensory issues)
Children with
ASD often demonstrate additional problems beyond those associated with the core
domains. Therefore, other areas should be included in the assessment battery
depending on the referral question, history, and core evaluation results. These
may include:
- Sensory processing
- Executive function, memory, and attention
- Motor skills
- Family system
- Co-occurring (comorbid) behavioral/emotional problems
The above referenced
principles and procedures for the assessment of school-age children with ASD
are reflected in recommendations of the American
Academy of Neurology, the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American
Academy of Pediatrics, and a consensus panel with representation from
multiple professional societies. A detailed description of the comprehensive
developmental assessment model and specific assessment tools recommended for
each domain can be found in A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism
Spectrum Disorder in Schools (2nd Edition).
Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD, is a licensed and nationally certified school psychologist, and certified cognitive-behavioral therapist. He is author of the
award-winning books, A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and
Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools and Overcoming Anxiety and Depression on the
Autism Spectrum: A Self-Help Guide Using CBT. He is also
editor of a text in the APA School Psychology Book
Series, Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and
Adolescents: Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention in Schools. His latest book is A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and
Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Schools (2nd Edition).