what autism screener does this sound like?

[mamashark]

took my 11DD to a new psychiatrist recently and by the end of the appointment was convinced that we needed to look closer at a possible asd diagnosis and made a copy of a rating scale for me to fill out. It doesn't have the name on it, though so I'm not sure which one it is. she asked a ton of questions related to asd in the office too, while obviously filling out a checklist on her computer. 

This says "section 5 Ratings" on the top and includes 58 total questions divided between restricted/repetitive behaviors, social interaction, social communication, emotional response, cognitive style, and maladaptive speech. with 0-1-2-3 as the options.

She told me that she can score everything and if it's clear cut, can diagnose it herself, and if there are any questions, she'll help me know where to go for more testing. 

what screening does this sound like?

[Lawyer&Mom]

All of them?  I’ve done several and they all tend to cover the same material.  Some one may know the exact one, but I can say from experience they aren’t all that different from each other.  They are all hitting the same diagnostic criteria after all. 

[mamashark]

well true... I just was curious what I could find online about it and each one seems to have its own scoring and nom reference info. 

[Storygirl]

https://www.pearsonclinical.com.au/products/view/524

It sounds like the GARS 3 to me.

If she says that it scores as autism, okay. If she says that it shows that it is not autism or not probable, be aware that the GARS is known to miss individuals who are actually autistic. It happened to us. Autism was ruled out for DS15 by a neuropsych on the basis of the GARS when he was 9. This summer, at age 15, he was diagnosed with ASD by a psychologist who used the ADOS and took a complete history. This psych -- who works at an autism school -- told us that she finds the GARS a poor test and does not even own it or offer it as an option.

So just be aware that it is an imperfect screening tool, not a full and complete testing, and is sometimes not enough to be an accurate standalone diagnostic tool.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Storygirl

[mamashark]

Thanks - that's exactly why I was wondering.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I probably shouldn’t have been so flip before.  I haven’t met a screening test I’ve really liked, and between myself and my kids I’ve done a bunch.  For me the conversation with the psych is much more important.  You said she asked lots questions. Did you feel like she got a meaningful overview of your kid’s behaviors?  I’ve had one where it never felt right, and a second where I felt she really got my kid, whether she decides to diagnose or not.  (Waiting for results at the moment.)

[mamashark]

yes, I think that she got a pretty good picture - and I really liked her... this is the first person who agreed with me about what was going on with the ADHD vs anxiety thing, and asked a lot of the right questions, imo

[PeterPan]

If it says Autism Rating Scale at the top, it's probably the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales.

And I agree the GARS is one of my least favorite tools on the planet, happily brought to us from the same publisher as the CELF.

So if the tool comes back saying ASD, fine, done, happy. If it doesn't, then go get a full eval, including an ADOS, with someone who specializes in ASD and has experience with the IQ level of your kids. Oh it's a girl? Ha, good luck on the ADOS, might or might not. But even so, if it's not conclusive, it's worth taking the time to sort out, yes.

Edited September 9, 2019 by PeterPan

[Lawyer&Mom]

I didn’t realize we are talking about a girl.  I don’t expect a screener to get an 11 year old girl.  It if the ASD was that clear cut, she would have been diagnosed already.  Even the “gold-standard” ADOS isn’t a sure thing.  I passed the grown-up ADOS and I’m definitely autistic.  (Formal diagnosis and everything.)  My daughter passed the toddler ADOS, and we’ll see how she does on the little-kid version with a more experienced psych.  I’m so glad you are exploring this.  Girls are under-diagnosed, because some of us can mask so well.  Until we can’t.  Knowledge will really help you with the teenage transitions.  Trust your gut and keep asking questions.   

[Terabith]

Yeah, my daughter has passed the ADOS at least twice.  But if you just go straight by the DSM criteria, it's pretty clear cut.  

[kiwik]

Sounds like gars to me.  Ds10 showed probable type 1 on that at 6 but it was too scattered and the wouldn't diagnose because gifted would also explain the problems.  Last Friday he scored a 9 on the ADOS with the same scatter and they diagnosed. Pity about those 4 years when the schools claimed he was deliberately behaving badly then expelled him. Keep the bad days firmly in mind when you fill it in.

[mamashark]

yes I kind of filled it in by translating what they were asking for based on her behaviors... so questions that we could have interpreted more than one way went in the direction of "worse" rather than better. 

I'd be surprised if in the end the results aren't clear. I'm just thrilled that someone finally brought it up, because we've had a run around of diagnosis (adhd, GAD, OCD...).  So I feel pretty good about getting clearer answers anyway. Her asd symptoms have gotten more obvious over the years to the point that it's pretty clear right now how different she is from her peers. So having that diagnosis will be pretty helpful I think. 

[kbutton]

7 hours ago, mamashark said:

yes I kind of filled it in by translating what they were asking for based on her behaviors... so questions that we could have interpreted more than one way went in the direction of "worse" rather than better. 

Good for you! There is so much nuance to behaviors at times that it's hard to know how to answer things, but that alone is a cue there is some level of problem.