Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination
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Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination April 2014 IDEA Partnership 1
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Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination. The Autism Society. The IDEA Partnership Project (at NASDSE). Jointly Developed By:. With funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination
Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination
April 2014 IDEA Partnership 1
Jointly Developed By:
The Autism Society The IDEA Partnership Project (at NASDSE)
With funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP)
Development TeamThe following role groups worked together to create the documents and
tools for the ASD Assessment for Identification presentation:
Behavior Analyst Educational
Diagnosticians General Education
Administrator Higher Education Occupational
Therapist Parents
Person on Spectrum Psychologists Social Worker Special Education
Administrator Speech Language
Pathologist Technical Assistance
Providers
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Outline for Presentation
Definitions/foundations Process for determining eligibility Evaluation areas Evaluation outcomes
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Definition of Assessment
Assessment is an ongoing, comprehensive process used to determine a student’s strengths and challenges in multiple areas
Evaluation may be defined as a specific set of assessments designed to determine eligibility for services under IDEA
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Guiding Principles of Assessment
Each individual has limitless potential
Each student has an individual spectrum of characteristics, strengths and challenges that range from mild to severe across various domains
Assessment tools should be chosen to gather specific information based on the individual’s characteristics, be appropriate across the spectrum, and across the age-range
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Guiding Principles of Assessment
Assessment is comprehensive; it goes beyond academics into various domains, such as sensory, social, behavior, and so forth
Information, observation, interviews, and interpretation by a skilled multidisciplinary team are each important to the assessment process
The essential information in assessment goes beyond the score on a particular assessment measure
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Guiding Principles of Assessment
Team members should have experience and a broad knowledge of characteristics of ASD, assessment, intervention strategies, and development of program recommendations for students across the spectrum
It is important to value the input of all members of the team, including parents/guardians and the student, as appropriate
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Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i)
“Autism” means a developmental disability
significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
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Communication and Social Challenges
Nonverbal & verbal communication
Nonverbal Echolalic Initiating and
maintaining social interactions
Superficially social Active
“Little professor” presentation
Conveying own thoughts
Literalness Hidden curriculum Perspective taking Passive Withdrawn
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Adverse Effect on Educational Performance…
Academic performance
Communication functioning
Social functioning Pragmatic language Organizational skills Group work skills
Problem solving skills Emotional regulation Hygiene Behavior Attention challenges Daily living
skills/adaptive behavior
Transition
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Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i)
Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in routine, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
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Restricted, Repetitive, and Stereotyped Patterns of Behaviors and Interests
Repetitive, stereotypic movements Narrow, intense interests Often appear “uncontrollable” Role of the interest: interest; fun; security,
comfort; relaxation; stress reduction May change over time
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The Sensory Systems
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Characteristics
When you have seen one child with autism, you have seen one child with autism.
Stephen Shore, n.d
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Diagnosis vs. Eligibility Process
Diagnosis EligibilityBased on a set of criteria (e.g., DSM-IV-TR, ICD-10)
Based on federal law (IDEA)
Refers to a specific disorder (e.g., Autistic Disorder, Asperger Disorder)
Refers to a broad disability category
Used in private settings Used only in public school system
May be determined by an individual or team
Must be determined by a team
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Evaluation Procedures34 CFR §300.304
(4) ...child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, motor abilities; academic performance, communicative status;(6) ... evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified.
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Areas Related to Disability
Autism characteristics Academic
achievement Adaptive behavior Cognitive Developmental Emotional/behavioral Functional/behavioral
Motor Sensory Speech/language/
communication Social/relationship Transition Vocational
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Additional Requirement
The IEP Team including parents must review evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child..
34 CFR §300.305(a)(1)(i)
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Myth of “Medical Diagnosis”
“There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual’s communication, behavior, and developmental levels.”
Autism Society, n.d.
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Evaluation: Eligibility vs. Program Planning
Eligibility Program PlanningPurpose Determine eligibility Looks at child as individual;
strengths and weaknesses
Evaluator Team of experts IEP Team
Law Consent required No consent required – Review existing data
Scope Child Find – all areas related to disability
Areas needed for program planning
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Flow Chart
Suspect ReferScreen – Autism Specific
Evaluate
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Screening for ASD
Follow written district procedures Ensure that at least one team member is familiar
with characteristics of ASD Avoid unnecessary delays in identification
Delay in identification = Delay in interventionResearch shows that the earlier the intervention, the
better the outcomes!It is never too late!
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Components of Evaluation
Obtaining informed consent
Vision/hearing clearance
Screening Structured interviews Structured
observations Naturalistic
observations
Developmental history
Bio-psychosocial history
Previous assessment history
Records review Checklists Student assessments
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Student-Centered Factors that Influence Identification Delay in assessment/identification Severity Gender Ethnicity and culture Age English language learners Other disorders/co-occurring conditions
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Other Factors that Influence Identification
Experience/knowledge of school personnel Local school district resources Geographical region Parent educational level Behaviors that are not consistent across
environments Misunderstanding of the characteristics of
ASD
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Student Case Study
Questions for Group Discussion: Is there “reason to suspect” the presence of a
disability?
If yes, what specific areas of student need should be further explored through screening and/or evaluation for eligibility?
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A Valuable Resource
Texas Autism Resource Guide for Teaching TARGET) http://www.txautism.net/manual.html Written for educational professionals and families Available at no cost Provides information on evaluation for
identification and programming Provides information on assessment measures
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A Valuable Resource: TARGET
Offers assessment information in the following areas
Autism Screening and Assessment
Academic Achievement Assessment
Adaptive Behavior Assessment
Cognitive Assessment Development Assessment Emotional and Behavioral
Assessment
Functional Behavior Assessment Motor Assessment Sensory Assessment Social and Relationship
Assessment Speech-Language Assessment Transition and Vocational
Assessment Other Assessment
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TARGET (Myles, Bock & Simpson, 2001)
Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale
The ASDS is a norm-referenced measure consisting of 50 yes/no items. The ASD yields scores in five areas: cognitive, maladaptive, language, social, and sensorimotor, as well as an Asperger Syndrome Quotient (ASQ). The 5 subtests provide information comparing the behaviors of the individual to the behaviors of individuals diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. The ASQ indicates the probability of AS. An individual who knows the child or adolescent well may complete the ASDS.
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TARGET: Summary of Screening and Diagnostic/Identification Tools
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TARGET: Research on Screening and Assessment Instruments
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TARGET: Misconceptions
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TARGET: References
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Eligible for IDEA Services
Develop IEP Determine strengths and present levels of
performance Goals/objectives/services/supports Behavior plans
Monitor progress Ensure future evaluation Provide procedural safeguards
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Ineligible for IDEA Services
Identify strengths Identify accommodations that can be
incorporated into general education Determine
resources/recommendations/universal design Consider 504 Plan Monitor student to determine need for
additional assessment/evaluation
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Reflections!
Questions?
Discussion.
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