Autimistic® offers online Autism screening for children as young as 2 years of age.This will assist parents in making a choice for seeking further medical and/or educational assistance if needed. We are using the Autism Screening Rating Scale (ASRS).
What is the ASRS?
The ASRS was designed to effectively identify symptoms, behaviours, and associated features of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in children and adolescents aged 2 through 18. This innovative instrument, authored by the highly respected Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., and Jack A. Naglieri, Ph.D., is a norm-referenced assessment based on a large nationally representative sample, designed to identify symptoms, behaviours, and associated features of the full range of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This tool aids in differential diagnosis among the disorders that make up the Autism Spectrum.
The ASRS scale is an easy-to-use and convenient tool intended for autism consultants, psychologists, school psychologists, clinical social workers, physicians, counselors, psychiatric workers,and pediatric/psychiatric nurses. The ASRS is a set of rating scales that is used to gather information about the behaviours and feelings of children. These rating scales can be completed by parents and teachers/childcare providers. The ASRS forms were developed by Drs. Goldstein and Naglieri, experts in child and adolescent behaviour and test development. Research has shown that the ASRS scales are reliable and valid, which means that you can trust these scores.
Why do parents complete the ASRS?
Information from parents (or guardians) about their child’s behaviour is extremely important, as parents generally know their child better than anyone else. Parents can describe their child’s behaviours in a number of different situations, including in the home and in the community. The most common reason for using the ASRS is to better understand a child who is having difficulty and to determine how to help. The ASRS can also be used to make sure that treatment services are helping, or to see if the child is improving. Sometimes the ASRS is used for a routine check, even if there is no reason to suspect the child is struggling with a problem. If you are not sure why you were asked to complete the ASRS, please ask the assessor listed at the top of this feedback handout.
How does the ASRS work?
The parent read 70 items, and decided how often the child displayed each behaviour in the past four weeks (“Never,” “Rarely,” “Occasionally,” “Frequently,” or “Very Frequently”). The parent’s responses to these 70 statements were combined into several groups of items. Each group of items describes a certain type of behaviour (for example, socialization). The parent’s responses were compared with what is expected for children in the same age group as the parent’s child. This information helps the assessor know if the parent’s child is having more difficulty in a certain area than his peers. All of this information is used to determine if the parent’s child needs help in a certain area and what kind of help is needed.
Results from the ASRS
The assessor who asked the parent to complete the ASRS will help explain these results and answer any questions you might have. As you go through the results, it is very helpful to share any additional insights that you might have, make notes, and freely discuss the results with the assessor. If the results do not make sense to you, you should let the assessor know so that you can discuss other possible explanations for reported behaviours.
How to schedule an Online Autism Screening?
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COMPLETING THE ASRS WILL NOT DIAGNOSE YOUR CHILD. However, scores on the ASRS have been found very reliable. Your consultant will be able to give recommendations for further assessment, and recommendations for interventions, which in most cases can be initiated and implemented at home.
