Child & Adolescent Autism Diagnostic Assessment

The Autism Diagnostic Assessment is suitable for a child or adolescent where Autism is suspected. It is recommended that the full multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment is preceded by an initial psychology consultation to screen your child.

Autism Diagnostic Assessment at Therapy4kids

This is a full multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment according to the national guidelines. It involves 2 – 3 clinicians with the relevant expertise.

The assessment includes two standardised diagnostic tools, the ADI-R and ADOS-2, school observation and liaison with the school, assessment of Sensory Integration using the standardised Sensory Processing Measure, and a feedback session with parents/carers.

Following the assessment you will receive a comprehensive report summarising the outcome of the assessment, describing your child’s profile, and providing recommendations for your child, parents and school.

When assessing autism, we use a number of different standard tools to assess the child under observation:

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
The ADOS-2 is a standardised assessment of communication, social interaction and imaginative use of materials conducted with the child being assessed. It lasts about 1 hour. The ADOS-2 consists of standard activities that allow the examiner to observe behaviours that have been identified as important to the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders at different developmental levels and chronological ages. It involves a number of tasks and conversational items that are different according to the level of expressed language, and are designed to elicit social interaction and understanding. The ADOS-2 is an internationally recognised tool to assist the clinical assessment and contributes both observations and quantifiable results via the diagnostic algorithm and the comparison score.
The Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R)
The ADI-R is a clinical diagnostic instrument to be used with parents or primary caregivers when assessing autism in children. This very detailed interview focuses on behaviour in three main areas: qualities of reciprocal social interaction; communication and language; and restricted and repetitive, stereotyped interests and behaviours, trying to gather examples from early childhood and at the time of the assessment. It lasts 2-3 hours.
The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2)
The SPM-2 is a standardised questionnaire that provides a complete picture of a child’s sensory processing difficulties at home, at school and in the community. It consists of two parts; the Home Form (75 items) – completed by the child’s parent or home based care provider, and the Main Classroom Form (62 items) – filled out by the child’s primary classroom teacher. Each form requiring 15 – 20 minutes to complete, they yield eight parallel standard scores: Social Participation, Vision, Hearing, Touch, Body Awareness (proprioception), Balance and Motion (vestibular function), Planning and Ideas (praxis), and Total Sensory Systems.

To find out more, or book your child in for an assessment, please get in touch!