How to Assess Autistic Children

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with language and social interaction. It affects not only behavior but also the child's perceptions. Behavioral traits associated with autism usually start to manifest within the first three years of a child's life, and its effects range from mild to severe. In its milder forms, autism causes developmental delays in language and slight difficulty in socializing. In its more severe forms, autism causes behavior that can result in injury to the child or others, such as tantrums and self-harm.

Things You'll Need

• Child
• Parents
• Teachers
• Pediatrician
• Physical therapists
• Speech therapists

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Instructions

• 1

  Recognize that autism isn't a one-size-fits-all disorder. It manifests differently in each individual child. Severity of symptoms, too, is often subjective: for example, a child who is severely impaired in communication abilities may not be severely impaired in cognition.

• 2

  Seek professional evaluation, which best equips parents and teachers to help autistic children. This professional assistance must be comprehensive, addressing the child physically, developmentally and socially.

• 3

  Take the child to a pediatrician for medical tests which will check for such problems as hearing abnormalities, metabolic disorders or brain activity anomalies.

• 4

  Work with speech and physical therapists who can, by evaluating an autistic child, develop ways in which that child may learn better communication and motor skills.

• 5

  Observe how the child plays, interacts and communicates with others, and expresses his/her emotions. Since parents and teachers are closest to the autistic child, they're on the front line for observations, which are crucial to the assessment process.

• 6

  Reduce reliance on standardized tests. While testing of autistic children in school is necessary, standardized tests can't be held to the same levels of reliability and validity as for the general population. Tests administered by schools must be supplemented by professional assessment and interpretation.

• 7

  Realize that assessment isn't a one-time event. Rather, it must be a continuing process. Parents and teachers must keep working with an autistic child's pediatrician and other professionals to evaluate how the child is progressing throughout each stage of his/her development.