Hello!
Recently, my family and I had to go through the process of autism diagnosis (I'll write a separate post about that), and I realized I didn’t know as much about it as I thought. Let’s take a look at the widely used methods of autism diagnosis and their advantages.
When Should Diagnosis Begin?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends including autism screening as part of a child’s regular check-ups at 8, 18, 24, and 30 months. Early intervention leads to better outcomes compared to therapy started at an older age.
What screening tools are commonly used?
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)
Used for children aged 16 to 30 months, this is a 20-question questionnaire about a child’s behavior, designed to determine if further evaluation is needed. However, it is not perfect—it can produce false-negative results in early stages. This is why repeated screenings in early childhood are recommended to identify children who need early intervention as soon as possible.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2)
Considered the "gold standard" for observational autism diagnosis tools. It consists of five modules and is used for people of different ages and communication abilities. A more detailed description of this method can be found in the article reviewing ADOS-2.
Childhood Autism Rating Scale, 2nd edition (CARS2)
A clinical assessment tool suitable for individuals of all ages. The original CARS was designed for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities, but it was not well-suited for those with high-functioning autism. In the second edition (CARS2), the scale was refined and is now used to assess both groups—those with and without intellectual disabilities.
It consists of 15 questions.
Evaluation is conducted by clinical experts, based on interviews with caregivers and direct observation.
perfect—it can produce false-negative results in early stages. This is why repeated screenings in early childhood are recommended to identify children who need early intervention as soon as possible.
