Autism

Autism Diagnostic Pathway

I am pleased to be working in collaboration with Dr Carol O’Dwyer, who is a Senior Clinical Psychologist. Together we aim to provide families with a detailed and comprehensive assessment and follow up report of our findings.

What assessments will be completed;

Families may be invited to a number of different appointments. These are detailed below. Please note that not all assessments will be required. Your child’s assessment will vary depending on their individual needs. We may also liaise with your child’s school/creche to gain further information:

• Developmental history:A structured interview with parents about your child asking questions about their birth, development and medical history focussing on communication and social interaction.
• Structured Diagnostic Interview:A structured interview with parents which ask specific questions about your child’s social communication skills.
• Cognitive Assessment:A standardised assessment of your child’s thinking and learning skills.
• Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) assessment: An assessment of your child’s speech and language skills with a Speech and Language Therapist through a variety of tasks and activities if required.
• Autistic Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS): A structured play and question-based assessment completed with your child.
• School/ Creche Questionnaires:To gain additional information about your child within the school/creche context we ask a member of staff who knows your child well to complete a series of questionnaires about your child’s social communication, learning and behaviour.
• School Observation:An observation of your child within the classroom setting to observe their social communication with peers. We also meet with their class teacher/familiar adult to complete a questionnaire to gain an in-depth understanding of their social communication within the school context.