How are Autism Spectrum Disorders assessed and diagnosed?

The diagnosis of autism may be made by a paediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist or speech and language therapist. For children there are a variety of methods that are employed when assessing for autism such as observations of the child, standardised rating scales, language assessments and structured interview with the parents. There is less evidence regarding the diagnosis of autism in adults, and this is particularly true for adults who also have intellectual disability. Dual disability clinicians undertake a general clinical examination and mental state examination to arrive at a clinical diagnosis. This may be supported by obtaining a collateral history from family (where available) or reviewing background information from paediatric or school records etc. Where the presentation is complex, clinicians may also use a number of instruments in their assessment. Such instruments include the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).   ADI-R     ADOS