What are the differences among screening, diagnosis and a full assessment of ASD?
A screening involves determining if a child or adult is at risk for having an ASD and should have a more detailed assessment. This screening may be specific to autism or may be part of a more general screening for developmental disorders such as language delay. Screenings are intended to be brief, easy to use (by parents and professionals), and inexpensive. A positive screening should be followed up by a diagnostic assessment. The biggest difficulty in autism screenings to date is that, at least with young children, children later determined to have autism are often found to have been missed by earlier screenings. Thus, if parents are concerned, they should be wary of quick screenings and reassurances that everything will be all right without careful attention to their concerns.
A screening involves determining if a child or adult is at risk for having an ASD and should have a more detailed assessment. This screening may be specific to autism or may be part of a more general screening for developmental disorders such as language delay. Screenings are intended to be brief, easy to use (by parents and professionals), and inexpensive. A positive screening should be followed up by a diagnostic assessment. The biggest difficulty in autism screenings to date is that, at least with young children, children later determined to have autism are often found to have been missed by earlier screenings. Thus, if parents are concerned, they should be wary of quick screenings and reassurances that everything will be all right without careful attention to their concerns. What makes a good diagnostic assessment? Because children and adults with ASDs have such varying profiles, most good diagnostic assessments provide a description of strengths and weaknesses, including attention
