Title: In SeQrch of Common Ground: Exploring Clinical and

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are currently receiving a great deal of attention in medical, clinical, educational and social environments due to rising incidence/prevalence, the importance of early identification and intervention, the continued search for definitive causal factors, the growing wealth of information pertaining to autism, and the need to distinguish valid and reliable expertise. Despite the swell of attention, ASDs are also a source of controversy, principally in identification and diagnosis. Two separate and distinct settings typically evaluate and diagnose autism: clinics and schools. A distance exists between these two environments, one that creates room for potential debate, disagreement, and distress. The two settings serve different purposes, use different diagnostic criteria, and may define autism differently (all while using a similar vocabulary), thus creating confusion and uncertainty as an unwanted byproduct. This research explores the similarities and differences between these settings, in an effort to 111 proactively pursue a more collaborative model: one which uses a common language to define, describe, diagnose and treat children diagnosed with ASDs. I