1. Assessment for ASD Eligibility Determination April 2014IDEA Partnership1

2. Jointly Developed By: The Autism Society The IDEA Partnership Project (at NASDSE) With funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

3. Development Team The following role groups worked together to create the documents and tools for the ASD Assessment for Identification presentation: Behavior Analyst Educational Diagnosticians General Education Administrator Higher Education Occupational Therapist Parents Person on Spectrum Psychologists Social Worker Special Education Administrator Speech Language Pathologist Technical Assistance Providers November 2012 IDEA Partnership 3

4. Outline for Presentation Definitions/foundations Process for determining eligibility Evaluation areas Evaluation outcomes November 20124 IDEA Partnership

5. Definition of Assessment Assessment is an ongoing, comprehensive process used to determine a student’s strengths and challenges in multiple areas Evaluation may be defined as a specific set of assessments designed to determine eligibility for services under IDEA November 20125 IDEA Partnership

6. Guiding Principles of Assessment Each individual has limitless potential Each student has an individual spectrum of characteristics, strengths and challenges that range from mild to severe across various domains Assessment tools should be chosen to gather specific information based on the individual’s characteristics, be appropriate across the spectrum, and across the age-range cont November 2012 6 IDEA Partnership

7. Guiding Principles of Assessment Assessment is comprehensive; it goes beyond academics into various domains, such as sensory, social, behavior, and so forth Information, observation, interviews, and interpretation by a skilled multidisciplinary team are each important to the assessment process The essential information in assessment goes beyond the score on a particular assessment measure cont November 20127 IDEA Partnership

8. Guiding Principles of Assessment Team members should have experience and a broad knowledge of characteristics of ASD, assessment, intervention strategies, and development of program recommendations for students across the spectrum It is important to value the input of all members of the team, including parents/guardians and the student, as appropriate November 20128 IDEA Partnership

9. Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i) “Autism” means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. November 20129 IDEA Partnership

10. Communication and Social Challenges Nonverbal & verbal communication Nonverbal Echolalic Initiating and maintaining social interactions Superficially social Active “Little professor” presentation Conveying own thoughts Literalness Hidden curriculum Perspective taking Passive Withdrawn November 201210 IDEA Partnership

11. Adverse Effect on Educational Performance… Academic performance Communication functioning Social functioning Pragmatic language Organizational skills Group work skills Problem solving skills Emotional regulation Hygiene Behavior Attention challenges Daily living skills/adaptive behavior Transition November 201211 IDEA Partnership

12. Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i) Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in routine, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. November 201212 IDEA Partnership

13. Restricted, Repetitive, and Stereotyped Patterns of Behaviors and Interests Repetitive, stereotypic movements Narrow, intense interests Often appear “uncontrollable” Role of the interest: interest; fun; security, comfort; relaxation; stress reduction May change over time November 201213 IDEA Partnership

14. The Sensory Systems November 201214 IDEA Partnership

15. Characteristics When you have seen one child with autism, you have seen one child with autism. Stephen Shore, n.d November 2012 IDEA Partnership 15

16. Diagnosis vs. Eligibility Process DiagnosisEligibility Based on a set of criteria (e.g., DSM-IV-TR, ICD-10) Based on federal law (IDEA) Refers to a specific disorder (e.g., Autistic Disorder, Asperger Disorder) Refers to a broad disability category Used in private settingsUsed only in public school system May be determined by an individual or team Must be determined by a team November 201216 IDEA Partnership

17. Evaluation Procedures 34 CFR §300.304 (4)...child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, motor abilities; academic performance, communicative status; (6)... evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified. November 201217 IDEA Partnership

18. Areas Related to Disability Autism characteristics Academic achievement Adaptive behavior Cognitive Developmental Emotional/behavioral Functional/behavioral Motor Sensory Speech/language/ communication Social/relationship Transition Vocational November 201218 IDEA Partnership

19. Additional Requirement The IEP Team including parents must review evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child.. 34 CFR §300.305(a)(1)(i) November 201219 IDEA Partnership

20. Myth of “Medical Diagnosis” “There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. An accurate diagnosis must be based on observation of the individual’s communication, behavior, and developmental levels.” Autism Society, n.d. November 201220 IDEA Partnership

21. Evaluation: Eligibility vs. Program Planning EligibilityProgram Planning PurposeDetermine eligibilityLooks at child as individual; strengths and weaknesses EvaluatorTeam of expertsIEP Team LawConsent required No consent required – Review existing data ScopeChild Find – all areas related to disability Areas needed for program planning November 201221 IDEA Partnership

22. Flow Chart SuspectRefer Screen – Autism Specific Evaluate November 201222 IDEA Partnership

23. Screening for ASD Follow written district procedures Ensure that at least one team member is familiar with characteristics of ASD Avoid unnecessary delays in identification Delay in identification = Delay in intervention Research shows that the earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes! It is never too late! November 201223 IDEA Partnership

24. Components of Evaluation Obtaining informed consent Vision/hearing clearance Screening Structured interviews Structured observations Naturalistic observations Developmental history Bio-psychosocial history Previous assessment history Records review Checklists Student assessments November 201224 IDEA Partnership

25. Student-Centered Factors that Influence Identification Delay in assessment/identification Severity Gender Ethnicity and culture Age English language learners Other disorders/co-occurring conditions November 201225 IDEA Partnership

26. Other Factors that Influence Identification Experience/knowledge of school personnel Local school district resources Geographical region Parent educational level Behaviors that are not consistent across environments Misunderstanding of the characteristics of ASD November 201226 IDEA Partnership

27. Student Case Study Questions for Group Discussion:  Is there “reason to suspect” the presence of a disability?  If yes, what specific areas of student need should be further explored through screening and/or evaluation for eligibility? November 201227 IDEA Partnership

28. A Valuable Resource Texas Autism Resource Guide for Teaching TARGET)  http://www.txautism.net/manual.html  Written for educational professionals and families  Available at no cost  Provides information on evaluation for identification and programming  Provides information on assessment measures cont November 201228 IDEA Partnership

29. A Valuable Resource: TARGET Offers assessment information in the following areas Autism Screening and Assessment Academic Achievement Assessment Adaptive Behavior Assessment Cognitive Assessment Development Assessment Emotional and Behavioral Assessment Functional Behavior Assessment Motor Assessment Sensory Assessment Social and Relationship Assessment Speech-Language Assessment Transition and Vocational Assessment Other Assessment November 201229 IDEA Partnership

30. TARGET (Myles, Bock & Simpson, 2001) Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale The ASDS is a norm-referenced measure consisting of 50 yes/no items. The ASD yields scores in five areas: cognitive, maladaptive, language, social, and sensorimotor, as well as an Asperger Syndrome Quotient (ASQ). The 5 subtests provide information comparing the behaviors of the individual to the behaviors of individuals diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. The ASQ indicates the probability of AS. An individual who knows the child or adolescent well may complete the ASDS. November 2012 IDEA Partnership 30

31. TARGET: Summary of Screening and Diagnostic/Identification Tools November 201231 IDEA Partnership

32. TARGET: Research on Screening and Assessment Instruments November 201232 IDEA Partnership

33. TARGET: Misconceptions November 201233 IDEA Partnership

34. TARGET: References November 201234 IDEA Partnership

35. Eligible for IDEA Services Develop IEP  Determine strengths and present levels of performance  Goals/objectives/services/supports  Behavior plans Monitor progress Ensure future evaluation Provide procedural safeguards November 201235 IDEA Partnership

36. Ineligible for IDEA Services Identify strengths Identify accommodations that can be incorporated into general education Determine resources/recommendations/universal design Consider 504 Plan Monitor student to determine need for additional assessment/evaluation November 201236 IDEA Partnership

37. Reflections! Questions? Discussion. November 2012IDEA Partnership37