Autism Assessment

 I really enjoyed the video and thought it was very beneficial for educators and parents, as well as myself since some of the information is new to me based on my career change. One thing I found helpful is how the speaker broke it down into what assessment really is, who it is for and why it is important. I truly believe it is important to know the difference between diagnosing and education eligibility. We as educators “sometimes” think we may know what the problem is in a child and can make assumptions to the diagnosis. I also believe at times, parents think we have the answers and we can diagnosis their child. It is essential to be clear about what our job really is and know the differences between diagnosis and education assessment.

Another important factor I found to be helpful in the video is as educators and assessment teams, a diagnosis is not enough to assess a child in finding a treatment plan. There are many other factors that are involved. For instance, we need to look closely and see what we can do to impact the students’ needs and daily struggles. It is important to take in consideration that the child does not need a clinical diagnosis to receive SPED and a 504 plan may be enough for the child to show progress. However, if a child is receiving outside diagnosis evaluation, it can be helpful for the assessment team to know this and may be used as part of the process for eligibility. I also found it interesting to know the child does not have to be involved in SPED if they are receiving outside evaluations and are progressing. However, if they are not progressing as they should, educators need to be aware of this and take a second look on what needs to be changed.

Assessing autism is very complex.  It is much more complicated versus the process of assessing other disabilities. This statement is a great example on why assessment and the need of well-educated assessment teams are in the rise. Because of the high demand in a qualified assessment team, it is crucial as educators to know what we are doing and to know what ASD symptoms are. Two important components of an well informed team include knowing the DSM-4 symptoms of Autism and to understand child development. Even though we do not diagnosis, it is important to know what the symptoms include. Also, as educators it is important to understand a child's development and what is considered typical and non-typical.

When assessing an individual with ASD, there are many tools to be aware of for a successful assessment. First, the most important is creating a team that will benefit the child’s struggles based on his/her needs. This team can include an ABA specialist, speech therapist, and occupational therapist, school psychologist and most importantly the parents. Having assessment teams come together to find what activities will be helpful for the child, is one of the main concepts in improving their needs.  It is also important to have clear data for the parents to understand what they are working with for their child to be successful.

There are many specific tools mentioned in the video that are helpful in evaluating a child with ASD. However, I strongly believe that the skill of the evaluator is the most vital component in assessing a child and not necessary the actual“tool” being used. This can explain why it is very critical as educators to know about ASD, as well as the symptoms.