Autism Diagnosis | Medical VS Educational | Special Education Decoded
Recently, I was asked what the difference is between Medical and Educational Autism Diagnosis…
With help from one of our special educators, Jessica Kerr… we answer that question in this episode of Special Education Decoded.
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The first thing you need to know is only doctors or clinicians can diagnosis your child with Autism, where schools can only Identify the behaviors.
Autism - Medical Diagnosis:
The WHO: People who can make the medical diagnosis of Autism
1. Doctors
2. Clinical Child Psychologist
3. Pediatric Neurological Psychologist
4. Speech-Language Pathologist
5. Other qualified clinical professionals
The WHAT & HOW: Diagnosis Autism;
1. Clinical professionals use DSM-5
a. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disabilities 5th Addition.
2. Along with the DSM-5, clinicians will also
a. Do a complete physical exam and other medical testing
b. Review your child’s developmental milestones plus medical and family history
c. Mental health assessments
d. Parent interviews
e. Teacher input
f. Review of educational history
The PURPOSE: What is the purpose for all of this information
1. For them to understand the cause of symptoms and to guide decisions on treatment.
2. Give information to schools to help with the educational evaluation process
3. From a medical standpoint, a diagnosis alone is usually good enough for treatment.
a. Treatment can be any of the therapeutic interventions
i. Behavior Therapy
ii. Speech Therapy
iii. Occupational Therapy
iv. Individual Counseling
v. Medical Treatment
ADDITIONAL Information: Any additional information from the medical diagnosis standpoint
1. Conditions don’t have to affect school performance to be diagnosed.
2. Conditions are considered ongoing unless symptoms change, and the diagnosis is reversed.
3. A clinician should consider how the diagnostic process is helpful for educational planning.
4. A diagnosis doesn’t automatically qualify a child for special education. It might be enough for a 504 plan.
Next, let’s cover the School Identification Process:
The WHO:
1. The IEP (Individual Education Plan) Team at your child’s school
a. You the parents
b. School administrators
c. All school personnel involved with educating your child
The WHAT & HOW:
1. They use classroom observation
2. Review developmental milestones plus family medical history
3. Standardized assessments on intellectual ability, speech, language skills, and more
4. Mental health screening
5. Parent interviews
6. Teacher input
7. Review of educational history
The PURPOSE:
1. To determine if a child is eligible for special education
2. Entitles eligible students to the supports and services he needs to get free and appropriate public education through an IEP.
3. The same information may be used by a 504 committee at school to determine 504 eligibility.
ADDITIONAL Information:
1. Schools identify conditions based on the IDEA Special Education Law.
2. The law covers 13 categories of disability for services.
a. Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
b. Other health impairments
c. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
d. Emotional Disturbance
e. Speech or Language Impairment
f. Visual Impairment, including blindness
g. Deafness
h. Hearing Impairment
i. Deaf-Blindness
j. Orthopedic Impairment
k. Intellectual Disability
l. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
m. Mental Disabilities
3. The school must identify learning and thinking differences that fall under one of the 13 categories
4. Conditions must affect a child’s ability to function in the classroom or elsewhere in school at the time of identification
5. A child must be reassessed and issued a formal identification at least every 3 years.
6. An IEP team might consider any available clinical information when considering if a child is eligible for special education services
7. Clinical diagnosis alone does not satisfy IDEA requirements for getting support and services.
8. The same information may be used by the 504 Committee at school to determine 504 eligibility.
9. Educational Services need more than a diagnosis. They require a finding that a student is in need of special services.
a. Once a need is determined, the IEP Team will determine what needs and services to provide to the child.
b. Some of the services may be the same as the medical system, as well as other supports and specialized educational placements determined by the IEP team.
All this being said, it can be simplified in that a medical diagnosis does not guarantee your child will receive educational services under IDEA; but with the proper assessments from the school, your child can receive those services and be on their way to reaching their full potential.
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