PRAGMATIC PSYCHOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
TESTING AND EVALUATION SERVICES
1800 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Ste 104, Durham, NC 27707
919-908-8674
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can impact social interaction, communication, movement, behavior and sensory processing.
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A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder requires evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning. This can include being exhausted when forced to mask or camouflage, with a significant need for recovery time alone. It is common for the presentation to differ depending on context (e.g. a child may present differently at home than they do at school). Other areas that may be impacted include anxiety, depression, burnout, school refusal or difficulty launching into adulthood.
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There is not a single test that can be used to confirm an Autism diagnosis. Instead, assessment psychologists administer a battery of tests to differentiate between signs associated with Autism and other conditions with similar or overlapping symptoms. Diagnostic testing may include self-rating scales, collateral-rating scales (completed by parents and/or teachers), collateral information from parents, diagnostic interviews, and other assessments as dictated by the individual’s needs.
Common Signs and Symptoms
Differences in reciprocating social or emotional interactions
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May include difficulty with:​​
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Offering or responding to greetings
Initiating conversation
Conversing about a variety of topics
Responding to praise
Understanding others' intentions
Staying on topic
Managing conversations that include multiple people
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Nonverbal communication differences
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May include difficulty with:
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Using eye contact to manage interactions
Providing appropriate personal space
Displaying a range of affective responses
Using body posture to communicate engagement
Recognizing or interpreting others' nonverbal expressions
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Differences in developing or maintaining relationships
May include difficulty with:
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Making and keeping friends
Understanding relationships
Engaging in reciprocal play
Understanding how to manage conflict
Taking another person's perspective
Recognizing another person's distress or disinterest
Understanding social conventions (norms)
Recognizing social emotions
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Repetitive or unusual speech, movements, or use of objects
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May include:
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Repetitive hand movements (e.g. clapping, flapping, twisting)
Stereotyped or complex whole body movements (e.g. spinning)
Abnormalities of posture (e.g. toe walking, full body posturing)
Unusual facial grimacing
Unusually formal language
Repetitive skin picking
Perseverative language
Repetitive vocalizations such as repetitive guttural sounds, unusual squealing or repetitive humming
Preference for sameness (inflexibility)​
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