Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts approximately 1 in 160 children worldwide (World Health Organization, 2021) and within Canada 1 in 66 children (Government of Canada, 2018). ASD impacts the way the brain processes information. This results in persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts together with the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. While these two areas are core diagnostic features, each individual identified with ASD will present with varying characteristics depending upon their developmental stage, access to interventions, supporting environments, and compensations.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts approximately 1 in 160 children worldwide (World Health Organization, 2021) and within Canada 1 in 66 children (Government of Canada, 2018). ASD impacts the way the brain processes information. This results in persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts together with the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. While these two areas are core diagnostic features, each individual identified with ASD will present with varying characteristics depending upon their developmental stage, access to interventions, supporting environments, and compensations.
There are common symptoms that are often observed for children and adults living with ASD. It is important to note that these will vary in severity and manner and are also signs of other developmental disorders or mental health difficulties. They are offered here for information purposes only:
- Impaired communication
- Difficulties with social relationships
- Sensitivity to sensory stimuli
- Unusual, difficult, or inconsistent eye contact
- Difficulty with imaginative play
- Rigidity in adherence to routines; difficulties transitioning between activities
- Emotional self-regulation challenges
- Repetitive stereomotor typies, speech, or use of objects
There are intervention and treatment options for those identified with ASD. Assessment and identification of ASD is important as it provides opportunities for access to various treatment and intervention options for families within the home, community, and at school. Early diagnosis and intervention are considered important to improve and enhance individual functioning. Assessment specific to the query of the presence of ASD is a comprehensive process and involves evaluation of the following areas for children, adolescents, and adults:
- Cognition- provides understanding of an individual’s intellectual profile, or IQ, and is a measure of thinking and reasoning with verbal and visual information, together with measures of working memory and processing speed.
- Academics (where appropriate) – provides standardized information of academic functioning in the areas of oral language, reading, writing, mathematics; and visual-motor integration.
- Memory – measures of short-term and delayed memory in both auditory and visual formats
- Social/Emotional functioning – rating forms are used to provided additional information to the qualitative observations during testing and clinical interviews. These forms measure behavior, feelings, attitudes, and skills in home, school, and community settings.
- Adaptive functioning (where appropriate) – rating forms used to provide further insight into activities of daily living and independent functioning.
- Executive Function – rating forms used to measure the expression of the individuals capacity in planning, organization, self-regulation, time management, flexibility in thinking, and other areas predominantly related to skills required to plan, organize and direct behaviour towards set goals.
- Autism – The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is considered the “gold standard” assessment tool, together with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), in measuring the presence of ASD related diagnostic criteria. The ADOS-2 is a measure of communication, social interaction, play/imagination, and restricted and repetitive behaviours. The ADI-R is a parent interview to support full understanding of an individual’s developmental history.
Upon completion of the above measures, a full report is written which will summarize relevant background information, communicate all testing data, make clinical diagnosis where appropriate, and highlight recommendations and strategies for individual support and success. This report may be used to access specialized therapeutic interventions, adapted school programs or educational settings, transitional supports during emerging adulthood, and potential vocational supports during adulthood.
