In this week’s episode, SPA’s Anneke Flinn speaks with Robyn Stephen, Director and Principal Clinician at Melbourne Child Development, and Speech Pathology consultant at Melbourne Paediatric Specialists.

Robyn chats about the speech pathology role in an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic assessment.

Please follow this link to access the “National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia” document mentioned in this episode:

https://www.autismcrc.com.au/access/national-guideline

Robyn wanted to be sure to highlight that if you make a decision to delay a diagnostic decision for a few months whilst you monitor the child in a new setting such as kindergarten that this is not a watch and wait period as far as support is concerned. Intervention including parent and educator coaching should commence during this time as soon as possible using the child’s strengths to enhance their function.

Speech Pathology Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of lands, seas and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past, present and future.

We recognise that the health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are grounded in continued connection to culture, country, language and community, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.