Developmental & Educational Psychological Services
Early Autism Identification
Book Online Click Here
EARLY AUTISM IDENTIFICATION SERVICES
Children 12 Months to 5 Years of Age
Early Autism Identification Services specializes in the assessment of young children with Autism in order to access early intervention services.
CAROL McLEAN, PH.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. McLean founded Developmental & Educational Psychological Services over 20 years ago in order to provide individuals and their families the best of both clinical and educational psychological services in a private setting. Early Autism Identification Services is a subdivision of DEPS and was created to meet the unique needs of young children with developmental concerns. She is committed to providing the highest quality of psychological assessments. She collaborates with all health care providers to help individuals access the services and interventions needed in order to reach their full potential.
EARLY SIGNS OF AUTISM
-
Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions.
-
Limited or no eye contact.
-
Little or no babbling.
-
Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving.
-
Little or no response to name.
-
Very few or no words.
-
Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating).
-
Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills.
-
Avoidance of eye contact.
-
Prefers to be alone.
-
Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings.
-
Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc).
-
Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY IDENTIFICATION
Autism is a neurobiological developmental disability. Autism rates in the United States have increased steadily over the past 10 years. There is no known reason why there has been such a drastic increase in autism rates.
What we do know is that accurate early identification allows access to early intervention and early intervention is fundamental to improving the trajectory of a child’s development and helps a child with autism reach their full potential. If we intervene early there is a better chance of changing the developing brain due to neuroplasticity. Young children’s brains are still forming, meaning the brain is more "plastic" or changeable than at older ages. Because of this plasticity, treatments have a better chance of being effective in the longer term. The sooner a child gets help, the greater the chance for learning and progress. The critical window for early intervention is 2 to 7 years of age.
Autism can be reliably identified in children as young as 18 months of age. Early diagnosis is reliable, valid and stable throughout the life span. However, the average age of diagnosis for autism is 6 years of age. By the time many children with Autism get into treatment they are at the end of certain developmental windows and precious intervention time has been lost.
At EAIS we understand early childhood development and specialize in development from birth to 5 years of age. We prioritize the early identification of ASD in children from 18 months to 5 years of age so they can access early intervention services as soon as possible. Using a team approach comprised of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech language therapists and early childhood educators, who all specialize in autism identification, we are able to provide services to more young children in need of evaluations to access services. Our evaluations are designed to open the doors for young children to receive early intervention services.
IDENTIFICATION PROCESS
-
We provide a comprehensive evaluation of overall development as well as the gold standard protocol for ASD assessment.
-
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule is a semi structured standardized assessment tool for individuals suspected to have ASD.
-
All of the assessment team members are certified ADOS administrators and experts in the identification of ASD.
-
Evaluation results are designed for children to access needed services.
CONTACT US
15720 N. Greenway Hayden Loop Ste 2
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Call 602-743-7032
