Autism Evaluations 

 

Hearing that your child is being referred for an Autism evaluation by your pediatrician, child's teacher, or other professional can be overwhelming. At The Speech Spot we are here to support you, your child, and any outcome that the evaluation may bring. We want parents to know that their child is the exact same person regardless of a diagnosis and our expert therapy team is ready and able to support you through this new journey. 

 

Evaluation - What to Expect

• Our team will use a variety of assessment tools to determine if your child meets criteria for Autism

• The evaluation will be completed by our licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathology team

• You will have your child's results that day

• The evaluation is approximately three hours in length 

 

What is Autism? 

Autism is not what most people think. Autism is characterized by differences in communication, socialization, and repetitive actions or patterns of thought (Mrs. Speechie P 2021). Autism presents differently in each person and most caregivers know and recognize the most extreme characteristics or stereotypes like "avoids eye contact", "lines up toys", "does not communicate", "is a savant", or "is a genius". The fact is many individuals with Autism fall in the middle of the spectrum- as Autism is described as a spectrum disorder.  Autism is the combination of differences seen in language, social skills, and restrictive/repetitive actions of behaviors. For these reasons, Autism can be misdiagnosised or missed all together by parents and professionals. Getting an accurate diagnosis can provide caregivers and families with more tools and support to help their child. 

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What diagnostic tool do you use at The Speech Spot?  

The Speech Spot uses the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS) for our Autism evaluations. The ADOS may be combined with other speech and language assessments to provide a comprehensive evaluation in the area of communication. Many team members were trained by the co-author of the ADOS, Dr. Somer Bishop, through the Lincoln Institute of Applied Psychology online continuing education course. 

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