M.I.N.D. Institute Video Part 1

The first half of this video is very informative in terms of the different educational assessments available and perhaps more importantly; the difference between determining educational eligibility versus diagnosis of ASD.  Medical professionals diagnose ASD based on the DSM-IV whereas educational evaluators collect data and translate it into educational needs. 

I can think of many people who could benefit from the clarification provided by the first speaker, that a clinical diagnosis of ASD is not required to be eligible for special education services and that a diagnosis does not always indicate a need for special education services.  An example might be a doctor who gives a wrongful diagnosis (of for example, PDD) with well intention of getting  a child special education services, but down the road that diagnosis sticks interfering with eligibility for services that child actually needs (for example, mental health).  Another example is a parent who goes to extremes to find a doctor who will give such diagnoses for the same reason, only to lead to similar problems.  I think the clarification that needs may change over time and special education services can be initiated is useful information for many people.  It can be very hard for parents not to resist the removal or reduction of services from their child’s educational plan, because many operate on the though process that once it’s gone it can be difficult to get back.  I think for most parents, it can be reassuring to know that if their child is determined at a later point in time to have more intensive educational needs because they are not making educational progress, special education services can be instated, or in some cases, reinstated. 

That eligibility determination and recommendations are based on evaluation of a child’s performance and ability to make educational progress is important because it is individualized to child, which helps to ensure they get the special education services they need and that those services will help them to perform and make further progress.

In regards to the statement that the most important part of the assessment is the person conducting the assessment, I agree.  No matter what educational assessment is being used to evaluate the child, the more familiar the evaluator is with ASD and the different assessments available, the better they will be at determining which is appropriate for the individual child, evoking specific behaviors during assessment, determining the difference between skills which the child has not yet acquired and those blocked by competing behaviors, compiling data from multiple sources such as direct observation, testing, rating scales and interviews, and providing objective and comprehensive results.