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let's get started. Hi, everybody, and welcome. We are talking about autism evaluations today. I am hopeful that this

episode will help those of you who are interested in autism assessments, learn about what to expect,

and also what questions to ask providers. So an autism evaluation, also known as an autism assessment, is a comprehensive

process. It's conducted by a specialist to determine whether an person meets the criteria for an autism

diagnosis. The evaluation aims to assess the person's developmental, social communication, and behavioral

patterns to gain a better understanding of their unique characteristics.

So today I'm going to cover some key components typically involved in an autism evaluation.

Number one is the intake.

I always do this first. This process, again, often is a lot of information

to gather. So at first, we're going to come together, and that's often the child or the adult

who's being assessed, and then parents and other caregivers or partners.

We talk about the person's history, behavior, and concerns.

It's basically a deep dive into the person's background.

The intake includes a thorough review of the individual's developmental milestone.

So we're looking at speech and language development,

social interactions, and motor skills too. This provides some insights into the person's early childhood experiences and any potential developmental differences. Number two, interviews. They're so important for an autism

evaluation. Interviews with the child, the parents, and at least one teacher. If the child or adult

is receiving services from a mental health provider, it's important to interview them as well.

Number three, review of documentation. This is a big one, especially as people get older. We need to have access to past

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