Getting an Autism Diagnosis
There is nothing physically noticeable about how a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) looks compared to their peers. However, as they continue developing, kiddos with ASD may communicate, learn, and interact differently from children their age.
As a parent you may start to notice speech delays, behavior differences, and changes in the way they interact with people around them. This doesn't mean there is something wrong with your child, they are simply neurodivergent. If you think your child may have ASD, this article will help point you in the right direction and simplify the diagnosis process.
Where do I start?
It is recommended that all children are screened for autism during their 18- and 24-month checkup. If you aren't sure if your kiddo has been screened, you can request this from your pediatrician. While this test is important, it is NOT a complete diagnosis. If the screener indicates that you child may have a greater chance of having autism, you'll need to get a full medical evaluation.
What is the evaluation process?
The evaluation must be conducted by a medical professional. This includes your pediatrician, a child psychologist, a pediatric neurologist, etc. Unfortunately, families often wait weeks or months before seeing a specialist. This is why it is important to know your rights.
According to Autism Speaks,
"If your child is under the age of 36 months:
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He or she is entitled to an evaluation through your state’s office of Early Intervention, also referred to as “Birth to Three” or “Part C.”
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Federal law requires the local early intervention agency to perform a free assessment to determine if any child has a disability.
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The agency is required to complete an initial evaluation no later than 45 days after receiving written consent from you to assess your child."
During the evaluation appointment, the healthcare provider will guide your child through activities appropriate for their age. Taking into account their development and behavioral history, the Doctor may ask questions, prompt conversation, and play games.
Because this process can take several hours, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled on a different day.
During this visit, you will sit down with the healthcare provider and discuss the child's official diagnosis including their strengths and weaknesses. They should also take the time to recommend some resources and begin next steps.
What should I do next?
During this appointment, you'll likely receive lots of paperwork. Some of the most important forms here are your CDE and referral. The comprehensive diagnostic evaluation (CDE) is a detailed document outlining your child's behavior and development compared to the national standard. Simply put, the confirmation of your child's diagnosis and what led the Doctor to that conclusion.
Often, different therapists, school systems, and healthcare professionals will request your CDE. NEVER give your original CDE documents away, you will need them throughout your child's life. Instead, send a copy to whomever made the request.
Your doctor likely also wrote a referral for therapies they believe will best help your child succeed. Some of the common ones are ABA, speech, and occupational therapy. While these therapies are not cures for autism, when started from an early age they help create foundational skills for your kiddo as they continue to grow.
Getting diagnosed with autism is a lifechanging event for you family. That's why we are here to help you through every step of the process and point you in the right direction. Give us a call with questions anytime!
So you have a diagnosis, now what?
You've sat down with your child's doctor
Behavior Plans
If you've received ABA therapy services before, then you have probably heard of a behavior plan. Or if you are new to ABA, then your child will soon have their very own. Why do behavior plans matter anyway? Read on to find out exactly what you should know and what to do once you have one.
The official name of this document is a Behavior Intervention Plan, also referred to as a BIP or treatment plan. After the assessment and observation portion (FBA), a Behavior Analyst will write a custom BIP to help children replace challenging or socially inappropriate behaviors with adaptive ones. This treatment plan will be unique and individualized to your child.
What does it contain?
Writing a behavior plan is a lengthy and involved process, typically they are anywhere from 25 - 40 pages long. The behavior therapist will take the data from the assessment and use it to create goals specifically for your child. This is where their experience and education pay off, as the information written in the plan will be implemented with your child. It is key to choose a company and behavior therapist that take the time to do things properly and keep your needs in mind.
The standard components of a behavior plan include your child's demographics, medical history, and basic information. The therapist will recommend a number of hours for aba therapy dependent on your child's needs (typically 20 - 40) and state their reasoning for their recommendation. Further down there will be a write up of the challenging behaviors, including their function or cause and the data taken from the assessment. Also written here will be skills your child will work on developing.
Next will include the strategies to decrease the socially inappropriate behaviors and steps for the skills being worked on. This is the goal portion of the treatment plan, and the things written here will be implemented with your child during services. Included in this section is also the collected data in sheets or graphs to monitor success. If applicable to your child, a safety plan may also be included.
So now you have your behavior treatment plan, what do you do with it?
Once the behavior plan is completed, it will be submitted to your insurance company for approval. This can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks, as adjustments may need to be made to meet their particular requirements. Once they give the green light, the ABA therapy is approved to begin.
Before starting services, your therapist should take time to thoroughly go over the treatment plan with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have. This meeting is critical to ensure providers and family are both on the same page.
Behavior intervention plans don't stop here, they are continually evolving. As the therapist and assistants administer services to your child, they will take data on your child's skills and behaviors. This data is used to keep track of progress and update the plan, making adjustments as needed. Collecting and analyzing data is critical to ensure the treatment effectively addresses target skills and behaviors. When changes are made to the treatment plan, this is called protocol modification. Please note that the ONLY person authorized to make changes and edit the plan, is the lead therapist working with your child. You will learn about these updates and how to implement them at home during parent training meetings. Parent training meetings are also a place to ask any questions, bring up concerns, make recommendations, and talk about how your child is doing overall.
Every 6 months, the behavior plan will be resubmitted to your insurance company for reauthorization, which is a request for services to continue.
Who has access to my behavior intervention plan?
Because your child's behavior plan is considered a medical document, we follow HIPPA compliance and privacy laws. That means the only people with access to your plan are those who directly work with your child, and your insurance provider. You have full access to the behavior plan and can request an updated copy for any reason, at any time. The other people who will view your child's treatment plan is the lead behavior therapist on the case, and the registered assistants working with your child. Sometimes, other people will want access to the behavior plan such as a teacher, principal, relative etc. As a company, we will not grant access without explicit written consent. You, however, may give your copy of the plan to whomever you see fit!
Anything else?
To simplify, the behavior treatment plan is just a document that contains relevant information about your child and how they are progressing with aba therapy services. The lead analyst reviews and updates it as necessary, while the assistants follow the changes made during sessions with your kiddo.
If you have any questions about behavior intervention plans, or aba therapy in general please reach out! We are here to support your family in any way we can.
For more information about the basics of ABA, check out other blog posts.