Title: Early assessment and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders
1Early assessment and intervention for children
with autism spectrum disorders
2Early assessment and intervention for children
with autism spectrum disorders
- What are autism spectrum disorders?
- Why is early identification and intervention
important for children with autism? - How is a young child assessed for autism?
3How does a normal child
- Interact
- Communicate
- Play
4Defining Characteristics of Autism
- Impairments in communication (verbal and
nonverbal) - Impairments in social interaction
- Repetitive or stereotyped behaviors
5The child with autism may also display
- Restricted or perseverative interests
- Difficulty with changes and transitions
- Sensory disturbances
- Uneven acquisition of skills or difficulty in
generalizing skills across situations
6Autism Spectrum Disorders(Pervasive
Developmental Disorders or ASD)
From the Minnesota Autism Network
7Basic facts about ASD
- A utism is a lifelong developmental disability,
resulting from a neurological disorder that
affects brain functioning - U sually occurs during the first three years of
life - T en to 15 of every 10.000 births are affected
- I nterferes with communication, interaction, and
sensory processing - S ymptoms can range from mild to severe
- M ore common in boys than girls
From the Minnesota Autism Network
8What does early intervention mean for the child
with autism?
- Intervention that occurs before age 5, but
preferably between the ages of 2 and 4 - Intervention that addresses
- Expressive and receptive language
- Social interaction
- Sensory integration
- Behaviors
9What are the theories behind the use of early
intervention?
- Neuropsychological explanation
- Most of the brain is developed by age 6
- Pathway analogy
- Computer programming analogy
- Transferability of functionleft hand example
10What is the effectiveness of early intervention?
- Almost all improve with early intervention-50
show major gains, 50 show mild to moderate
gains, all of which are stable over time - Higher IQ scores
- Significant gains in language
- Improved social behavior
- Decreased symptoms of autism
- Educational placement
11How are children evaluated for autism spectrum
disorders?
- Medical Diagnosis
- To receive benefits through health insurance and
state agencies - Conducted by clinical psychologist and/or other
medical professionals - Educational Diagnosis
- To receive special education services
- Conducted by school professionals
12What is the process for receiving an educational
diagnosis?
- Screening
- Assemble assessment team (at least one of the
team members must be an autism specialist) - Conduct assessment for autism
- Determine appropriateness of ASD label
- Develop IFSP
- Early intervention begins
13What is included in the assessment for Autism
Spectrum Disorders?
- Behavioral observation
- Parent interview (including developmental and
medical history) - IQ testing
- Adaptive testing
- Examination of expressive/receptive language
- Autism checklist
14Controversies surrounding early assessment of ASD
- How effective are IQ tests for individuals with
autism? (Verbal abilities, behavioral problems
during testing, ability to generalize skills) - How reliable is a diagnosis of autism at such a
young age? (Is the diagnosis stable across time
or is there a significant rate of false positive
diagnosis?)
15What is the role of the School Psychologist in
early identification and intervention?
- Assessment and intervention planning
- Minnesota Autism Network
- Autism specialist
16In Conclusion
- Autism is a life-long developmental disorder that
affects communication, interaction, and behavior - Children with ASD show immense and long- lasting
improvement with early intervention - Early identification by an assessment team is
essential for early intervention