Discover what’s possible when diagnosis opens doors.
What are considered the “gold standard” tools for diagnosing autism?
If you’re curious about the history of autism diagnoses and observational assessments, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Dr. Catherine Lord.
Dr. Lord is an American psychologist and researcher. She currently serves as a member of the International Advisory Board for The Lance Psychiatry, co-chair of the Scientific Research Council of the Child Mind Institute, and the George Tarjan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Education at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
Credited for co-developing the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Dr. Lord is also known for leading one of the largest and longest-running longitudinal studies of autism in modern research, which began in 1990 and continues to follow a community sample of over 200 individuals.
Dr. Lord has authored numerous books about autism and hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as received a considerable number of awards and professional recognitions.
This episode is part one of our conversation, and we discuss:
Shortcomings of early autism diagnosisWhy autism was so hard to diagnose consistentlyHow the ADOS assessment tool was developedWhat it actually does and does not measureCommon misunderstandings of the ADOSWhy a diagnosis involves more than a single testTraining and cultural considerations for professionals who administer the ADOSThe evolution of autism categories in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and why these changes matterHow families can explain an autism diagnosis to their childEarly detection in infantsMisconceptions about regressive autismSelf-diagnosis and access to autism assessments To learn more about Dr. Catherine Lord and her work, please visit: Dr. Catherine Lord UCLA Profile
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