Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessments
Serving Albertan Families and Children
To put it simply, intervention for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) should be started as early as possible, as it is the best hope for the future.
It is essential to maximize the child’s potential to learn the skills he or she needs to communicate, to engage in social interactions, and to manage behaviours. Therefore, assessment and early identification is critical. Diagnosing ASD is challenging and requires direct observation combined with expert examination and assessment, coupled with reports from parents, teacher or other caregivers. Our clinicians are trained in the specific assessment instruments used to detect ASD. An evaluation for ASD is multidimensional and includes thorough diagnostic testing and evaluation of the child’s unique areas of abilities and needs. Collaboration between professionals, parents, and other key adults in the child’s life is an important component of an effective assessment process and accurate interpretation of the information gathered. It is imperative that an assessment covers all developmental domains in order to best facilitate planning for appropriate interventions.
Autism in Girls
For a long time professionals believed that autism was more common in than girls. However, we have know the differences in diagnostic rates has more to do with gender biases in diagnosing autism than actual differences in boys and girls. Autism is missed or misdiagnosed for many girls for a variety of reasons.
Learn More About Our Clinicians Who Provide ASD Assessments
Dr. Caroline Buzanko
Dr. Buzanko helps parents and teachers understand kids’ strengths, areas of challenge, and how to best support them. She figures out what makes learning easy for kids and strategies to optimize learning.
A thorough assessment often entails:
- cognitive ability
- communication
- motor/physical skills
- daily living skills
- social, emotional, and behavioural functioning
- observation of the child at informal or structured play and of parent-child interactions
- parental interview to elicit their concerns, obtain a history of the child’s early development, and gather information about the child’s current level of functioning
- review the child’s records (e.g., health and education) and family medical history
At the end of the assessment, you will have the opportunity to review the results with your psychologist. You will receive a comprehensive report highlighting your child’s strengths and areas of growth. Additionally, you will receive comprehensive recommendations to best support your child in intervention and guidance for next steps on your journey. There is hope.
Does my child need a psychoeducational assessment?
- If your child consistently studies hard but the marks don’t reflect his/her effort
- If your child is clearly intelligent but, because of procrastination and poor planning skills, cannot deliver their homework or assignments on time
- If your child’s teacher notes in his/her report card that they need to pay more attention or stay more focused in class
- If your child presents with any behavioural or emotional problems related to school or home
- If your child consistently doesn’t want or doesn’t like to go to school
- If your child’s marks are good in all areas except one or two, such as Math or English
- If you think your child would benefit from school accommodations
