Perkins School for the Blind Transition Center

Posts Tagged ‘assessment’

Engaging and Supporting Parents of Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism

No parent wants to learn that their child is autistic. Hopes and dreams for a neurotypical child are mostly abandoned and replaced by fear, uncertainty and, often, despair. Thus, effective professional intervention must begin with active listening to grasp the parent perspective on their child’s...

Breaking Down Barriers: A Guide to Autism Diagnosis with NODA Telehealth

If you are the parent or guardian of a child on the autism spectrum, you know firsthand how frustrating and time-consuming it can be to get a diagnostic assessment for your child. The process often involves long wait times, multiple in-person appointments, and a lot of uncertainty. Thanks to recent...

Screening and Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder in Young Children

Given the complex nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its diagnosis can be challenging. Unlike conditions where biomarkers such as those found with a blood test can provide a definitive diagnosis, diagnosing ASD requires clinical observation and interpretation of a child’s behavior and...

Parents and Caregivers: What to Do if You Think Your Child is Autistic

My child has big emotional reactions and seems so sensitive to everything. I am always having to reassure my daughter when we go to new places or meet new people. My son wants to make friends so bad, but he has such a hard time knowing how to play with others. My daughter gets upset every time I...

Person-Centered Early Intervention Program: A Whole Family Approach

The prevalence of autism is at an all-time high. Today, we all seem to know a parent of a child who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to estimates from the CDC, the rate of autism has more than tripled over the span of two decades: from one in 150 in 2000, to one in...

Working to Prevent Suicide in Youth with Autism

This article contains information about suicide and suicide prevention. For help 24/7, please call or text the U.S. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. After being bullied at school, the preteen boy came to believe that no one would care if he died. His therapist, whom he had been seeing for...

Evaluating and Treating Restrictive Eating in Children with Autism

Picky eating is common for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autistic individuals often show atypical eating patterns and have more difficulty with mealtime behaviors in comparison to their non-autistic peers (Christensen et al., 2019; Mayes & Zickgraf, 2019; Sharp et al., 2013)....

Understanding, Diagnosing, and Treating Catatonia in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Catatonia is a distinct cluster of mood, motor, vocal and affective disorders once thought to be solely a specifier for various psychotic and mood disorders. It is now recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association,...

EarliTec Diagnostics Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for the EarliPoint Evaluation for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The EarliPoint Evaluation is the first FDA-cleared tool to assist clinicians in diagnosing and assessing autism in children as young as 16 months old. On June 10th, 2022, EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc. (EarliTec), a digital health company developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic products for...

Providing Primary Behavior Health Care Services to Autistic Clients: Is This an Exception or the New Rule for ABA Organizations?

It is well known, but not fully appreciated, that an ASD diagnosis triggers a tsunami of emotions within the family of the autistic individual. Many established ABA provider groups have realized that the needs of parents and siblings of ASD individuals should be tended to via an interdisciplinary...