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Assessing Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism: Tips for Clinicians

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Developmentally-based assessments of cognitive, communicative, and other skills provide information important for both diagnosis and program planning for kids with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Careful documentation of a youngster’s unique strengths and weaknesses can have a major impact on the design of effective intervention programs and is particularly critical due to the fact that unusual developmental profiles are common. Given the multiple areas of difficulty, the efforts of experts from various disciplines are often needed (e.g., audiology, neurology, pediatrics, physical and occupational therapy, psychiatry, psychology, speech and language pathology). The level of expertise required for effective diagnosis and assessment may require the services of professionals other than those usually available in a school setting. In some cases, psychological and communication assessments can be performed by existing school staff, depending on their tra