In 2007 the Center for Disease Control’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) found that 1 in 150 8 year olds in different parts of the country have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Years ago autism was believed to occur in 4 to 5 per 10,000. This means that the prevalence of autism has increased to epidemic proportions in the last several years. This is the reason why every parent needs to be educated about autism screening tools, in case their child is showing signs of autism. This article will discuss 2 autism screening tools that I find are most effective in diagnosing autism.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that usually appears during the first three years of a child’s life. It is defined by a unique set of behaviors and is considered a “spectrum disorder.” What this means is that a child can have different symptoms that go across a spectrum.
Autism is often diagnosed by physicians, health care workers, or special education personnel. Two effective screening tools to diagnose autism are the CHAT which stands for the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, and the CARS which stands for the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Both will be discussed now, as well as who can use these tools to diagnose autism.
1. CHAT Checklist for Autism in Toddlers is a short questionnaire which is filled out by the parents and a primary health care worker (usually the child’s Doctor). The CHAT is recommended to be given to all children at their 18 month check up. The Chat consists of two sections: the first nine items are questions answered by the parents and the last five items are observations made by the primary health care worker.
These items look at behaviors which if absent at 18 months, put a child at risk for a social-communication disorder. These behaviors are: a. joint attention, including pointing to show and looking to where a parent is pointing, and b. pretend play. The items are then scored, and a determination of pass or fail is given. Children who fail are rescreened in one month, and if they fail again should be referred to a specialty Dr. or Clinic for further testing.
2. CARS Childhood Autism Rating Scale is a 15 item behavior Rating Scale that helps to identify children with Autism and to distinguish them from other children with a disability. Professionals such as physicians, special educators (after age 3), school psychologists, speech pathologists and audiologists who have had only minimal exposure to Autism, can easily be trained to use the CARS. This is one of the reasons that I like it so much, it does not take lengthy training before use.
Each of the 15 items covers a particular characteristic, ability, or behavior. The person performing the CARS will ask the parents questions. based on the 15 items. The parents answers will be used to give the child a score.
Children who score above a given point are categorized as having autism.
The CARS also gives a determination if the child has mild, moderate, or severe autism, based on the child’s score on the CARS. This is a wonderful bonus for parents because it helps them understand what their child’s needs are related to having autism.
By understanding what effective autism screening tools are available, parents will be able to ask their Doctor to use one of the screening tools, if they are concerned. If your child fails either of these tests, you should take them to a specialty clinic or physician, who is experienced in treating children with autism. They should order a complete battery of tests to determine what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are, as well as what special education services they need. Do not take these screening tools in lieu of further testing, but it will help you get started. Good Luck!
By: JoAnn Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’
2 Autism Screening Tools That Every Parent Should Know About!
March 12th, 2010What Is Autism And How Do I Know If My Child Has It?
February 18th, 2010
Are you the parent of a young child that is concerned about their
development? Does your child, have unusual behavior, delays in speech,
refuses or is limited in their contact with you and their peers? This
article will briefly discuss the definition of autism, diagnostic tools
used to diagnose it, and resources to get more information.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that usually appears
during the first three years of a child’s life. It is defined by a
unique set of behaviors and is considered a spectrum disorder. In fact
some people refer to it as Autism Spectrum Disorder. What this means,
is that a child can have different symptoms that go across a spectrum.
You will also hear terms like pervasive developmental disorder
not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), asbergers syndrome, retts syndrome.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder refers to the overall category and is
not a label for diagnostic purposes.
6 Signs:
1. Speech delay or communication problems (using and understanding
language.
2. Repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. Also motor
mannerisms such as hand flapping or spinning toys or bottles.
3. Lack of spontaneous or make believe play, or unusual play with toys
and other objects.
4. Lack of interest in peer and family relationships.
5. Little or no eye contact.
6. Difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings.
These definitions were found at NICHCY http://www.nichcy.org. and
http://www.autism-society.org. Both sites contain a lot of information,
including treatment.
The Autism Society of Americas Web site contain information on
screening and diagnoses. They also state that the rate of the disorder
is 1 in 150 children.
For Screening they recommend that the child’s Doctor use a tool called
The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). This tool uses a short
questionnaire that both the parents and the doctor fill out. I
recently heard that the American Medical Association is encouraging
all doctors to screen their children patients at 18 months.
For Diagnoses they recommend the childhood autism rating scale, which
is also called the CARS. I often ask for the CARS when I suspect
that a child may have autism. This scale also gives a rating of mild,
moderate or severe, which is helpful to parents and special education
personnel. Do not confuse the CARS with the GARS! GARS stands for the
Gillium Autism Rating Scale, and is used in older children and adults.
Some school districts do not like to diagnose children with autism. I
am not sure why, (perhaps they are afraid that parents will ask for a
lot of services). Do not accept special education personnels “opinion”
that your child does or does not have autism, ask for the CARS rating
scale.
Autism is a life long developmental disability that will affect your
child for their entire life. But studies show that early diagnosis and
treatment will lead to much improved outcomes. You must make sure,
that your child receive treatment as early as possible, for the best
life outcome!
By: JoAnn Collins
Benefits Of Music Therapy
February 4th, 2010
Music therapy uses music to promote positive changes in the wellbeing of an individual. These positive changes may be manifested in changes in physical development, social and interpersonal development, emotional or spiritual wellbeing or cognitive abilities.
The therapeutic benefits of music have been known and harnessed since ancient times. However, music therapy in modern times dates back to the World Wars when music was used in hospitals in the rehabilitation and recovery of soldiers who had suffered physical or emotional trauma. The University of Kansas was the first University in the United States to offer a degree program in music therapy in 1944.
Early exponents of music therapy in the 1950’s to 1970’s included the French cellist Juliet Alvin and Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins. The Nordoff-Robbins approach is still used in many countries around the world including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and South Africa.
So, how does music therapy work?
Music is universal and connects across language barriers. Most people can respond to music in some way regardless of illness or disability.
Music has an inherent ability to generate an emotional response in the listener. It stimulates a relaxation response which can therefore lead to physiological changes in the body. Music is known to reduce stress thereby producing related benefits such as lower blood pressure, improved respiration, reduced heart rate, better cardiac performance and reduced tension in muscles.
Music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain and this stimulation has been shown to help in development of language and speech functions. It promotes socialization and development of communication, self expression and motor skills. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder have been found to respond very positively to music and many of them display high levels of musical skill.
Music encourages verbal as well as non verbal communication and promotes social interaction and relatedness. It’s a valuable outlet for self expression and creativity. It has also been successfully used in pain management by providing a distraction from the painful stimulus as well as a means of relaxation and stress alleviation.
Children with developmental and learning difficulties,children and adults with autism spectrum disorder or special needs as well as the elderly and dementia sufferers have all been shown to benefit from music therapy. Although the benefits of music therapy have been accepted intuitively and based on anecdotal evidence it wasn’t till recently that quantitative evidence of its efficacy started to emerge.
In a recent study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine blood samples of a group of male Alzheimer’s patients who were treated with music therapy were found to have significantly elevated levels of melatonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine which are chemicals which act on the brain to control mood, depression, aggression and sleep. The benefits of the therapy were still evident even six weeks after cessation of the therapy and in the case of melatonin the effects persisted even longer.
Music therapy is gaining wider acceptance in the general medical community and has certainly stood the test of time. Music therapists can now be found practicing in a variety of institutions dealing with mental health, developmental and early intervention programs, correctional institutions and special education programs to name but a few. Many are having success where traditional treatment methods have failed.
By: Kevin Sinclair
