The Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Guideline.pdf - CTE - Online ...

B. If it is determined that the screening does indicate the need for further assessment,the administration of a validated assessment measure such as the AutismDiagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) (11) (for children 12 months and older),the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) (12) (for children 24 months andolder), or the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) (13) (2+ years) by aprofessional or professionals with appropriate training; andC. A review of other assessment materials to assure that the child demonstrates of adelay greater than 1 standard deviation below the mean in receptive language,expressive language, social-emotional or adaptive behavior skills.D. If parents and the assessors agree that the child’s overall behavior anddevelopment are at odds with the other information gathered in this determinationprocess, informed clinical opinion may be used to override the recommendationthat the child receive autism specific services. Typically, such a child would bereassessed in three months.This determination process will not only help the family understand their child’s needs butalso help define how Birth to Three services may be delivered to the child. Based onvarious scenarios (summarized below) the child can receive individualized autism specificservices as outlined in this Service Guideline.• A child may receive a diagnosis of ASD prior to referral. In that case, the familywill be offered a choice of one of the autism-specific programs or one of thegeneral programs serving their town of residence. Since the child is alreadyknown to be eligible because of a diagnosed condition, whichever programreceives the referral will perform an initial multi-disciplinary assessment in all fivedevelopmental domains and a family assessment prior to developing the IFSP.• A child may be referred directly to an autism-specific program from ChildDevelopment Infoline, because the referral source is concerned that the child mayhave ASD, but there has not been a diagnosis. In that case, the autism-specificprogram must determine 1) whether the child is eligible for Birth to Three basedon developmental delay and/or 2) whether the child has a DSM-IV TR diagnosisof ASD or meets the educational classification of autism under the IDEA. If a childis determined to have the DSM-IV TR diagnosis of ASD or meet that educationalclassification of autism, the parent will be offered the choice of remaining with theautism-specific program, choosing a different autism-specific program that servestheir town, or choosing one of the general Birth to Three programs that servestheir town, as long as the program they choose is open to accept new referrals. Ifthe child is eligible due to a developmental delay but is not determined to haveASD or meet the educational classification of autism under the IDEA, the familywill be offered a choice of one of the general Birth to Three programs that servestheir town. If the child is neither eligible due to a developmental delay nordetermined to meet the educational classification of autism under the IDEA, theparents will be told that the child is not eligible and offered resources outside ofthe Birth to Three System, such as Help Me Grow (a developmental monitoringand resource referral program for children at-risk funded by the Children’s TrustFund) or private services.• A child who has already been determined eligible by a general program may bereferred to an autism-specific program that serves the child’s town of residence toCT Birth to Three System • Service Guideline #1 • Revised July, 2002 and January, 20085