Australia's first National Guideline for the Assessment and
Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders was launched in 2018.
The Guideline is the first unified approach to the
assessment and diagnosis of autism in Australia.
It aims to remove confusion and give clarity regarding the
process of diagnosing autism, providing greater equity in
access to an assessment,
transparency and confidence in the decision making process, and
a clearly defined pathway to meet support needs.
The Guideline was developed in close consultation with expert
health professionals and the autism community. The
recommendations have been approved as best practice
healthcare, reflecting global expertise and the best
available scientific evidence.
The Guideline does not redefine or change the specific criteria
for a diagnosis of autism, but outlines a clear step-by-step
process for assessment.
The process will help health professionals to determine your
support needs and whether you meet the criteria for a
diagnosis. The Guideline emphasises the importance of
listening to individuals and their families, caregivers,
and support people about the impact of characteristics on
daily life. Your needs and priorities are critical
considerations at each step.
The Guideline also recommends a strengths focused approach. This
approach means that identifying
your strengths, skills,
interests, resources and support systems is as important
as identifying any challenges.
There is no biological test such as a blood test or scan for
autism. It's usually diagnosed by trained health professionals
who observe certain characteristics such as social
communication, behaviours and intense or focused interests.
In Australia, primary healthcare providers such as GPs,
nurses, allied health professionals or Aboriginal
health workers are usually the first point of contact if you
have a concern.
They will begin the process by referring you to a health
professional who is experienced in assessing neurodevelopmental
conditions. If you've been referred to an expert health
professional, the Guideline then recommends a Comprehensive Needs
Assessment. This assessment has two parts, firstly an
Assessment of Functioning.
This involves obtaining a detailed understanding of your
abilities and any support needs you might have across a broad
range of areas. These areas include cognitive abilities,
speech and language function, daily living skills,
relationships, study, and work.
And secondly, a Medical
Evaluation. This involves a physical examination and other
medical tests to understand if there could be medical causes
for the behaviours or characteristics that prompted
the referral. Depending on your needs, you may then be
immediately referred to various
support services. If there is still uncertainty about an
autism diagnosis, the Guideline then recommends a Diagnostic
Evaluation, to establish whether the behaviours are consistent
with autism or another
condition. This may involve a review of your information,
interviews with you and other key people in your life and
professional observation and assessment of the signs and
characteristics you may display.
One health professional with specific expertise may conduct
the Diagnostic Evaluation, or they may invite a team of health
professionals to make a consensus diagnostic decision
together. The professionals who are involved will depend on a
range of factors such as the type or complexity of your
characteristics, and any other conditions you may have.
After the assessment, the Guideline recommends that the
health professionals involved provide you with a written
report. If you choose, your caregivers or support people
could also receive this report. The Guideline also recommends
that a health professional involved in the assessment has a
meeting with you to explain the content of the report. The
report will summarise the information collected during the
assessment and what this
information means. It will also explain any decisions that have
been made about a diagnosis and suggest next steps for accessing
support services. In summary, if you've been referred for an
assessment, you should expect a timely and thorough assessment,
consideration of your unique needs, strengths and resources,
prompt referral to support services based on your
functioning and needs, not a clinical diagnosis, and a
detailed final report summarising the assessment
findings and diagnostic decision, explained in person by an expert
health professional. For further information on the Guideline or
to download the Guideline recommendations, please visit
the Autism CRC website.