How is Autism Determined and Diagnosed for Your Students?
When I was first teaching, my students were all so different, but at the same time all so similar. It was wild. They all intensely focused on things, but each of them focused on different things. They all had some sort of sleeping difficulty or trouble sleeping through the night. They all made repetitive movements, but each of them used a different part of their body to make these movements. They all had problems with communication, but in different ways. For example, some would use words, some would use pictures, and some would stand or sit by the snack closet until they made you understand that they were not leaving until that snack came out!
Now, they were in my classroom after being diagnosed with autism. As a special educator, I was not involved in that part of the process. Of course, when it comes to diagnosing whether or not a person has autism, it is left up to a qualified examiner. Typically that person, the qualified examiner, is going to be a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a school psychologist, a licensed social worker, a developmental pediatrician, or a pediatric neurologist. They are typically the people who can make the formal diagnosis of autism.
If you have ever wondered “How did they know my student has autism?” This page might give you some insight.
Are you ready to step into the world of a qualified examiner?
In order to set up your classroom environment for your students with autism, it’s important to know exactly what we are talking about when a student with autism walks in your room. Qualified examiners use many checklists, assessment and tools. This information below is one of the methods that can be used to help determine a diagnosis. Take a look...
What are some related topics?
What is Autism?
Criteria for Autism
Characteristics of Autism
A Sensory Connection
Eating Difficulties in Autism
Trainings
How Can You Learn More?
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