Patterns of autism diagnostic assessment in Ireland

A retrospective analysis was carried out on the diagnostic assessments of 67 children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in order to (1) examine the use of assessment instruments used to diagnose autism and whether they reflect the critical domain areas requiring assessment, (2) evaluate whether the information reported in initial assessments is such that they will facilitate subsequent evaluation of progress across developmental domains, and (3) examine the nature and type of interventions recommended. Results indicated that over one-quarter of all assessments did not include a measure of adaptive functioning and almost one-third did not include a measure of intellectual functioning. Furthermore, a substantial number of assessments did not provide enough information to evaluate progress after diagnosis across these domains. Results also suggest that children with autism rarely receive a follow-up assessment following diagnosis. The most common recommendations in relation to intervention were placement in an Early intensive Behavioural Intervention programme (EIBI) and input from a multidisciplinary team. However, less than one third of assessments recommended the development of an individual Education Plan. Results are discussed in the context of the role of psychological assessment and intervention for children with an ASD in the Republic of Ireland.