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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...
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Assessing Young Children with ASD: A Multidisciplinary Approach
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) every year. But how can parents be sure that they have received the proper assessment? And what are the key steps in ensuring that these children receive the necessary level of...
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Tools for Identifying Autism in Infants and Toddlers
All of us in the field of autism spectrum disorders — parents, doctors, therapists, researchers and activists — agree that early identification is essential for enabling early intervention and investigating underlying causes. Many of the tools, such as the Modified Checklist for Autism in...
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Suicidal Ideation and Peer Victimization – An Important Assessment Criteria
Earlier studies (Ghaziuddin, Weidmer-Mikhal & Ghaziuddin, 1998; Gillberg & Billstedt, 2000; Tantam, 2000) have explored the comorbid clinical disorders in children and adolescents with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), but only a recent study has explored suicidal ideation among adolescents with...
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Early Detection Makes a Lifetime of Difference
At 15 months old, James had not yet begun to speak. His mother, Michelle Lederman, was not particularly worried, but she decided to do the prudent thing and have him evaluated for a speech delay. When the speech therapist recommended a second, more comprehensive evaluation, “I said, ‘Sure,...
