Why is a diagnostic assessment important for ABA therapy?

According to the CDC, about 1 in 36 children are autistic. A diagnostic assessment can help identify if the cause of a child’s difficulties are tied to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while also providing a baseline of information from which your child’s care team can build in the course of their care.

What are autism diagnostic assessments?

The term “diagnostic assessment,” in this context, refers to an evaluation carried out by qualified professionals to determine whether someone has ASD. Assessments involve gathering information from a variety of sources, including parents, caregivers, teachers, and professionals’ own direct observations. The goal is to assess various areas of development, including communication, social interaction, and other behaviors, to provide an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnostic tools commonly used in these assessments include developmental screening tests, interviews, observation and behavioral assessments, and medical and genetic testing. Each assessment tool serves a specific purpose, contributing to the holistic evaluation of your child’s symptoms and behaviors. You may have heard of some of the tools used at this stage, such as: the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Autism Diagnostic Interview -- Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ).

A diagnosis can only be made by a health professional, such as a neurologist, developmental pediatrician, or other physician.

How do diagnostic assessments help?

With experts suggesting starting on ABA therapy as early as possible for the best results, diagnostic assessments help identify ASD early and definitively. They also provide a structured, standardized approach to evaluating a learner’s strengths and challenges in diverse areas.

A diagnostic assessment can benefit your child in 3 key ways:

1. Getting an accurate diagnosis: These assessments aim to gather information comprehensively to develop a deep and broad understanding of your child’s development and behavioral patterns. This understanding enables accurate diagnosis, helping differentiate autism from other developmental conditions or disorders.
2. Enabling access to support services: Many support services, including ABA therapy, require an autism diagnosis. Other such services include specialized education programs and government assistance. Studies show that beginning therapeutic intervention sooner can be more helpful, so getting the diagnosis done is already a major step forward in supporting your child’s success.
3. Planning your child’s program: Our BCBAs develop a program tailored to your child, based in part on their own interviews and interactions, but also incorporating the findings of the diagnostic assessment. These findings capture how your child learns, where they excel, and where they have demonstrated difficulty in the past. The assessment serves as a foundation on which the BCBA builds their deeper understanding of your child’s unique perspective and continues to evolve the program.

Looking for the best autism therapy in Raleigh?

A diagnostic assessment helps confirm the nature of the roadblocks your child faces and helps map a positive way forward. Once you have a diagnosis, it may be difficult to sort out what to do next. We’re here to help.

Triangle ABA is a clinician-run applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy clinic, and one of the leading clinics in Raleigh, North Carolina. Schedule a free consultation with us today to dig into your child’s results and begin planning their care.