Parent Information/Resources
What can I expect during an autism evaluation?
The structure and measures utilized during autism evaluations can vary significantly across providers and may look different depending on the format (i.e., in-person vs. telehealth). That said, I will outline the 3 most common ways that I have conducted and have seen my colleagues conduct autism evaluations:
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In-Person Diagnostic Autism Evaluations:
During an in-person diagnostic evaluation, the primary focus is to determine whether autism is an appropriate diagnosis for your child. Typically, these evaluations include two main components: a comprehensive developmental interview with the child’s parent/caregiver and a structured observation of the child.
o During the developmental interview, the provider may ask detailed questions regarding your child’s developmental milestones (e.g., speech, motor, toileting, adaptive/daily living skills, etc.) as well as questions about how your child is doing across many different domains of functioning, such as medical, behavioral, emotional, and social functioning.
o During the structured observation of your child, the provider should utilize a performance-based, standardized assessment measure that is specific for evaluating for traits of autism, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2), and/or the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition (MIGDAS-2).
o For young children and/or children who have limited spoken language, these measures are generally play-based. During the observation, the provider will engage your child in play-based social interactions, tasks, and activities that are helpful for eliciting autism features, if present. For children who are older and/or are verbally fluent, these measures may still include some play-based components, but also put an emphasis on assessing conversational skills as well as emotional and social understanding.
o Your provider may also request that you complete collateral parent/caregiver measures and questionnaires to provide supplemental information about your child’s functioning outside of the office setting.
o Following the evaluation, your provider should then facilitate a feedback session. This may occur directly after the evaluation or on a different day, depending on your provider’s preference and availability. During feedback, your provider will talk with you about the results of the evaluation, any diagnoses being provided, as well as next steps and recommendations for your child moving forward (see next question below for common recommendations that are made if your child receives an autism diagnosis).
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o Your provider will also give you a comprehensive written report that you can share with other providers or personnel that you think would benefit from having his information (e.g., school team, pediatrician, etc.).
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Telehealth Diagnostic Autism Evaluations:
Telehealth diagnostic evaluations have the same goal as in-person diagnostic evaluations, which is to determine whether autism is an appropriate diagnosis for your child. The structure of these evaluations is also similar to that of in-person evaluations, as these evaluations include two main components: a comprehensive developmental interview with the child’s parent/caregiver and a structured observation of the child.
o Just as during in-person evaluations, in the developmental interview, the provider may ask detailed questions regarding your child’s developmental milestones (e.g., speech, motor, toileting, adaptive/daily living skills, etc.) as well as questions about how your child is doing across many different domains of functioning, such as medical, behavioral, emotional, and social functioning.
o During the structured observation of your child, the provider should utilize a performance-based, standardized assessment measure that is specific for evaluating autistic traits via telehealth. Common measures utilized during virtual evaluations may include the TELE-ASD-PEDS (TAP; for young children up to 36 months of age), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2), and/or the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA).
o For young children and/or children who have limited spoken language, the observation component is play-based and typically parent-led, as the provider will guide you to engage your child in a variety of play-based social interactions, tasks, and activities while observing for the occurrence or non-occurrence of autism features. For children who are older and/or are verbally fluent, the provider may work more directly with your child through the camera by engaging them in a variety of social interactions, tasks, and activities that are helpful for eliciting autism features, if present. Some providers may also do a hybrid model where they observe some parent-child interactions and facilitate direct interactions with your child through the camera.
o Your provider may also request that you complete collateral parent/caregiver measures and questionnaires to provide supplemental information about your child’s functioning in the home, community, and/or school settings.
o Following the evaluation, your provider should then facilitate a feedback session. This may occur directly after the evaluation or on a different day, depending on your provider’s preference and availability. During feedback, your provider will talk with you about the results of the evaluation, any diagnoses being provided, as well as next steps and recommendations for your child moving forward (see next question below for common recommendations that are made if your child receives an autism diagnosis).
o Your provider will also give you a comprehensive written report that you can share with other providers or personnel that you think would benefit from having this information (e.g., school team, pediatrician, etc.).
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In-Person Comprehensive Psychological Evaluations:
Psychologists can also evaluate for autism in the context of a comprehensive psychological or neuropsychological evaluation. These evaluations are most helpful for children who may have other concerns in addition to autism (e.g., ADHD, cognitive differences, learning disorders, etc.) and therefore require a more thorough evaluation.​​
o Similar to diagnostic evaluations, the psychologist will conduct a developmental interview with the parent/caregiver to obtain information about your child’s developmental milestones (e.g., speech, motor, toileting, adaptive/daily living skills, etc.) and how your child is doing across many different domains of functioning (e.g., medical, emotional, social, behavioral, adaptive, etc.).
o Next, your child will participate in comprehensive testing. Depending on the provider, your child may attend one full-day testing appointment or several shorter testing appointments across several days. During the testing appointments, the psychologist will administer a variety of standardized assessment measures. The measures administered during these evaluations vary and are tailored specific to your child and the presenting concerns you have for your child. Common areas that may be assessed during these evaluations include intellectual functioning, language skills, visually-based abilities, attention/executive functioning, learning and memory, academic skills, adaptive functioning, and social, emotional, and behavioral functioning.
o Just as during in-person diagnostic evaluations, the provider should utilize at least one performance-based, standardized assessment measure that is specific for evaluating for autism traits, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS 2), and/or the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition (MIGDAS-2).
o Following the evaluation, your provider will schedule a feedback session with you, which typically happens on a different day. During feedback, your provider will talk with you about the results of the evaluation, any diagnoses being provided, as well as next steps and recommendations for your child moving forward (see next question below for common recommendations that are made if your child receives an autism diagnosis).
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o Your provider will also give you a comprehensive written report that you can share with other providers or personnel that you think would benefit from having this information (e.g., school team, pediatrician, etc.).