Understanding child and young people’s autism assessments. It can be difficult to know what an autism assessment for children and young people should look like. Here we will break it down, so you can be sure you are getting the best assessment possible.
The people you might see
We believe that the best Autism assessments are delivered by an experienced and trained team of professionals from different backgrounds. This is often referred to as the multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Ideally, the MDT will include a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist. It might also include professionals from nursing, occupational therapy or educational backgrounds. If the assessment is for a very young child it might also include a paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.
The process
First, you and your child will usually be asked to complete some questionnaires. This is so your assessment team can better understand your child and any factors that might be influencing their behaviour and presentation.
Next, we believe that the best assessments should include information from school. Ideally, your assessment team will complete school observations. This is so they can understand how your child interacts and communicates with their peers. School observations will also give your team the chance to speak to teachers to get their perspective.
The assessment team will then want to collect a developmental history from parents/caregivers. This information is usually obtained from an interview. This interview is very in-depth and could last up to 2 hours.
In addition, it is likely that members of the assessment team will want to complete a face-to-face assessment with your child using an evidenced based tool. One of the most used is the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS). This is just a framework for the assessor to look at certain behaviours. For young children this assessment will be completed as they are playing. For older children and adolescents, this will take place via conversation and with a few simple activities (for example reading books and creating stories with objects).
After the assessment
It is important that after an assessment, the MDT explain the outcome and how a decision was reached. It can be a lot to take in, so it is important that you have the chance to ask questions. After the assessment is complete, you should receive a detailed report that describes the decision. Hopefully, some useful recommendations will be made, even if your child does not receive a diagnosis.
For more information on what a child and young person’s autism assessment should include, look at the national guidance.
Considering an assessment?
If you think that your child might benefit from an Autism assessment, why not contact the Neurodevelopmental Consultants Clinic for more information.
