Date of Award

5-2021

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Yvette Hyter

Second Advisor

Cary Cekola

Third Advisor

Dr. Michelle Suarez

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Ioannis Vogindroukas

Keywords

ASD, autism, social communication, diagnosis, assessment

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

This review of the literature aims to analyze the current assessments available for clinicians, parents, and other professionals to use during the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that specifically addresses social communication. Although ASD can be diagnosed as early as the age of 2, children are often not diagnosed until the age of 4-5 years old. Especially for children who would be diagnosed with ASD and require Level 2 and/or Level 3 supports, early diagnosis can lead to early intervention which can help to provide the necessary support for both the child and family. Early intervention can help to reduce difficulties associated with ASD that the child may experience. Aspects of social communication can be observed in children as early as the age of 2 and before other modes of communication are demonstrated by the child. Although there are many popular assessments, such as the ADOS-2 and ADI-R, these assessments do not specifically examine nor provide in-depth information about the social communication abilities of the child being assessed. Thus, there is a need for assessments that specifically test social communication in order to help aid in identifying children who may be at more risk of ASD, assisting in accurately differentially diagnosing ASD in children, and providing in-depth information to aid in intervention.

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