ADOS, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
An Important Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disoders
Jun 6, 2009
This article reviews information from Western Psychological Services' (WPS) (publisher of the ADOS) website.
Common Applications of the ADOS
The ADOS is an open-ended assessment in which an examiner uses a series of situations and interview questions to elicit behavior and verbal responses from the individual tested.
The assessment can be used to tell the difference between a person who has Autism and a person who may only have speech problems or other developmental delays. The test may also differentiate a person who has Autism and a person who is on the spectrum of Autism, with a disorder such as Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD) or Asperger's Syndrome.
Age Ranges for the ADOS
The levels, or Modules, are differentiated based on the verbal level of the person tested rather than specific ages.
Module 1 can be used for a child who is nonverbal or uses very few words, while Module 2 should be used for a child who uses some words but does not speak readily.These modules do not rely on the child's ability to produce verbal communication, but allow various demonstrations of inherent ability.
Module 3 is appropriate for children who can speak fluently, and Module 4 for adolescents or adults who can speak fluently. These modules rely on interview questions, conversation, and other measures of expressive language.
This test is appropriate for people of all ages, except for nonverbal adolescents and adults, as well as children with nonverbal ages of less than twelve months, and those children who have not yet begun to walk independently. An expressive language test such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior scale may be useful in assessing language levels.
Available Languages
The test is available primarily in English. There is a Spanish language edition available, but other languages have yet to be made available by WPS.
Authorship of the ADOS
The test was developed by by Catherine Lord, Ph.D., Michael Rutter, M.D., FRS, Pamela C. DiLavore, Ph.D., and Susan Risi, Ph.D.
Using the Test to Diagnose Autism
Scores in the Autism range on the ADOS may not provide enough information to diagnose a person with Autism by the DSM-IV or ICD-9 qualifications. However, this test can provide valuable information for a clinician with other certifications, such as an MD or clinical licensure in psychology, in order for an accurate diagnosis to be made. Autism is diagnosed by social and behavioral observation as well as developmental history, and the diagnosis must take into account many factors.
WPS strongly recommends that persons using the ADOS have significant experience with individuals with Autism before using the test.
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