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The Early Identification of Young Children with ASD
In developed countries, a child’s initial assessment for ASD typically takes place before they enter elementary school. Usually the question asked at that point is whether or not the child suffers from Autism and what can be done as the child prepares to enter an organized school setting....
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Q&A with Renowned Autism Expert Dr. Catherine Lord – Identifying Children with ASD and Finding Services After Diagnosis
Renowned autism expert Dr. Catherine Lord is the Director of NYP’s Center for Autism and the Developing Brain (CADB). Opening in early 2013, CADB will be the region’s most comprehensive center for diagnosing and treating patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Dr. Lord shared some of her...
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Assessment and Understanding of Fear in Children with an ASD
Intense fears and phobias have been reported in up to 64% of children with an ASD (Muris Steerneman, Merckelbach, Holdrinet, & Meesters, 1998). In comparison, only 5% of typically developing children present with intense fears (Ollendick, King, & Muris, 2002). Children with an ASD also have...
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The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R)
A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autistic Disorder in Adults 18 Years and Older The RAADS-R is an eighty item scale specifically designed to assist clinicians diagnosing Autistic Disorder (AD) in adults eighteen years and older. It contains a total of eighty questions. Sixty-four short...
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Advancing the Evidence-Base in Autism Assessment
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders that share a core set of clinical symptoms that includes impairments in socialization, abnormal language development, and a restricted repertoire of behaviors and interests (APA, 2000). Affected individuals may...
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Importance of Motor Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Experienced clinicians often get their first diagnostic impression from observing their young patients’ initial social response, but also from looking at their odd posture or movements as they walk into the office. In his original paper, Kanner noticed several atypical aspects of his patients’...
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The Very Early Identification of Autism – An Indispensable Goal
The clinical presentation which we call “autism” is now widely believed to be a condition caused my multiple factors with a very variable presentation. In the scientific literature it is frequently called “the autisms”. I would like to present a case which shows that progress in our...
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Overcoming the Challenges of Assessing Young Children for Autism
Assessing young children for autism can be very challenging. It can be quite difficult to be confident in a diagnosis of autism at the earliest ages due to many factors that I’ll highlight below. At the same time it is very important for parents with concerns about their child to have an...
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Clinical Evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience a range of vulnerabilities that span across areas of development, as well as vary throughout life. Thus, in order to accurately assess areas of need, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation is merited – oftentimes, at multiple...
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Supporting Parents in Their Search for the Whole Picture – A Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Assessments for Individuals with ASD
For many families and caregivers, entry into the world of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) first begins as part of their search for an accurate diagnosis – the answer that can help explain their child’s behavior, strengths, and weaknesses. This “assessment process,” which for some families...
