| Q: | Are there any screening or diagnostics tools I can use to help identify children who might need additional evaluation? |
A: Yes.The Consensus Panel that wrote The Screening and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders recommends several developmental screening tools:
The Ages and Stages Questionnaire
The BRIGANCE® Screens
The Child Development Inventories
The Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status
In addition, there are a number of screening tools that are specific to autism, including:
- Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test (PDDST)
- Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT)
- Australian Scale for Asperger’s Syndrome
The Panel also indicates that the Denver II (formerly the Denver Developmental Screening Test-Revised) is not recommended as a developmental screening tool for autism.
Health care professionals should perform developmental screening at every well-baby and well-child visit, through the preschool years.If a child shows any of the characteristics listed earlier as definite indications for further evaluation, the child and his or her family should see a specialist in child development or another appropriate health care professional to begin testing for autism.
For a complete list and description of these diagnostic tools, consult the American Academy of Neurology/Child Neurology Society’s Practice Parameter (Filipek et al 2000).
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