Good Assessments

Dr. Ozonoff had many good ideas about how to assess a child with autism.  It is not surprising that sometimes children with autism make it through the first round of screening without being diagnosed.  Some tests are can diagnose up to three months but those test are not always accurate.  It is important to continue to monitor a child if you suspect them of having ASD or Aspergers.  I also agree that it is up to knowledgeable health care professionals, such as pediatrics to provide a questioner to the parents about how their child is developing.  First time parents may not know the symptoms or think there is nothing wrong with their child at all.  That is another reason why it is important for pediatrics to have assessments that are easy for parents to fill out and understand.

Dr. Ozonoff also was on the right track about having FBA done.  They are always a great place to start and should be done with all students who have ASD.  Each FBA should be conducted by a team of individuals who have interaction with the student.  Taking in all information that each person provides is a great way to paint a whole picture of the individual who is being assessed.  Although some information should be taken with a grain of salt, some parents and other caregivers can have bias opinions about the student and although it is a valuable information can cause an in accurate portrayal of the student.  It is important that each individual have some sort of interaction with the student.  I enjoyed the fact that Dr. Ozonoff touched on the fact that some professionals will conduct assessments based on interviews or other secondary information and not direct observation or interaction with the patient.  These meetings are very important to have especially as the student grows and should happen on a regular basis so the needs of the student can be addressed and understood by the entire team.