The role of developmental histories in the screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 27(1

The incidence of diagnosed cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically over the past decade. This may indicate a larger population of individuals with ASD, and may also be the result of better diagnostic definitions and procedures. Early accurate diagnosis is particularly important for children with ASD because of the documented benefits of early educational interventions. One very important component of an ASD screening and diagnostic process is a developmental history. Not only can this type of information assist with diagnosis, but the process of interviewing parents and primary caretakers can provide opportunities for establishing a working alliance with the family, inform further assessment deci-sions, and facilitate treatment and intervention for coexisting and comorbid disorders. Both structured and semi-structured formats are available for obtaining developmental histories. Personnel who are assigned to obtain developmental histories need strong interviewing skills and extensive knowledge about the diagnostic indicators of ASD. Issues involved in the screening and diag-nosis of ASD have received national atten-tion in the past decade. For example, in 1998 the National Institutes of Health Autism Coordinating Committee held a working con, ference on the State of the Science in Autism Screening and Diagnosis to specify core stan-dards and guidelines for such diagnoses (Bristol-Power & Spinella, 1999). One reason for this national attention may be the sharp rise in the incidence of children identified with ASD in the past decade. U.S. Department of Education statistics show that in the 1992-93 school year, the first year that school districts were asked to report the num-ber of students with autism, 15,580 students, ages 6-21, were identified as having autism. By comparison, during the 1998-99 school year, 53,561 students, ages 6-21, were so iden-tified (a 244 % increase). It is speculated that the rise in incidence may not just indicate more children with autism but might have to do with more public awareness, an increased desire by school personnel to accurately iden-tify students with ASD, and the broader ASD definition put forth by the America