Autism diagnosis is an essential part of a child’s developmental assessment, more especially if a parent suspects that their child may be on the spectrum. The Diagnosis process can be in-person evaluations conducted by a certified psychologist one on one (live) and the other option is telehealth assessments.
TeleHealth option
Telehealth assessments (tele meaning distant and not one-on-one) involve a parent providing crucial information about their child’s behavior. Telehealth received a huge pushback in 2019- 2022 when COVID-19 blocked physical meetings. Recently, UC Davis Health and Vanderbilt University Medical Center conducted a study to compare the effectiveness of telehealth assessments for autism diagnosis.
The findings, published in the Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, revealed that telehealth may be a viable alternative for parents seeking developmental assessments for their children and could potentially increase access to autism screenings.
The Research Procedure
The procedure involved 93 children aged between 18 to 42 months who were evaluated for autism via telehealth using the Developmental Profile, 4th Edition. For many who are wondering what Developmental Profile, 4th Edition is, it is a tool that is available in both questionnaire and interview formats and is commonly utilized by psychologists and other professionals who assess children.
In this study, the interview version was used & parents were asked a series of questions regarding their child’s development, such as their ability to stack blocks or dress independently. This approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation and incorporates parental input, providing a more holistic understanding of the child’s behavior and abilities.
The Research findings
The study found no significant differences in the eligibility criteria for speech therapy services between this tool and in-person evaluations using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning.
This means that regardless of whether a child was evaluated in person or via telehealth, they would have similar chances of receiving speech therapy services if needed.
It should be noted that this study only pertains to children under the age of 3 and a half. Additionally, it is essential to keep in mind that if a child does not have autism but requires further testing for potential global developmental delay or intellectual disability, relying solely on a parent interview may not suffice. In such cases, direct in-person testing would be recommended.
Nevertheless, telehealth is still a viable option for conducting autism evaluations, as evidenced in the COVID-19 pandemic, where physical movement was limited, and the only option for evaluations was done through telehealth.
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