Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviours.

ASD is usually first diagnosed in childhood with many of the most obvious signs presenting around 2-3 years old, but some children with autism develop normally until toddlerhood when they stop acquiring or lose previously gained skills.

Diagnostic Assessment can be done from as little as 18 months. This is a specialised assessment, which helps the psychologist understand the presence of traits clear with diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Typically an autism assessment includes:

• Adaptive Behaviour Assessment
• Psychometric assessment
• Behaviour Assessment
• Autism Observation Diagnostic Assessment (ADOS 2)
• Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS2)
• Preschool / School /Home Observations
• Parents and Teacher Interviews

Step by step what you will experience:

Most of the times the first step is to conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify the type and severity of any difficulties present.

Initial interview:

At this meeting the psychologist will discuss your concerns and gather all the vital background information from you which includes detailed information about the child.

Assessment plan:

After the initial interview, they will now make a plan with you, which will involve gathering further information to complete your child’s assessment. This may involve formal psychometric testing, observation visits, questionnaires and some more clinical interviews.

Conduct the assessment:

If your child needs formal psychometric testing it is requested to bring along the child for the morning sessions as this will help us get the best picture of the child’s abilities.

Report writing:

After the assessment process is finished, your psychologist will score the assessment and write a report. The report will include all the results of the testing, any diagnoses that have been made, and recommendations for how best to help the child. It may take a couple of weeks to complete the report writing.

Feedback session:

After the report is complete, it will be sent to you and a follow up call will be arranged to answer any questions you may have after reading the report. On request an additional sit down session can be organised to clarify any doubts.

Tips for Parents

• Learn as much as possible about Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Connect with other parents of children with autism
• Seek professional help for specific concerns
• Don’t give up

Having a child with autism affects the whole family. It can be stressful and time-consuming. Paying attention to the physical and emotional health of the whole family is important.