Question about ADOS test

snicklefritz

New Member
My 4 yr. old daughter has been diagnosed with developmental delay, is at risk for mild to moderate autism, and is scheduled for the ADOS test next week. This is all new to me, so I've been searching the net to find what to expect. I do have some concern, however. What happens if she has very little or no participation in the testing? Around people she does not know, she has been known to have very little interest in playing even with her favorite types of toys or even acknowledging people. At the initial developmental consultation she would not even point to the pictures that the dr. asked her to, even though I knew she could. I'm sure people that do these tests are prepared for this, but what is the outcome? I'm afraid that if she shuts down like this, she may be scored incorrectly, or would they consider the test to be in-conclusive alltogether. I don't want that either-after weeks of phone calls, finally got insurance to cover the out-of-network provider because I have to travel 2 hours to find anyone that deals with these things at all. I would hate for it to have all been a waste of time.
 

Janna

New Member
Oh, let ME tell you about ADOS.

ADOS is good for your child if they are a low functioning Autistic. What I mean by that is, if your child makes no eye contact, hand flaps, tippy toe walks, echolai, things of that nature. ADOS is a psychological test, typically given by a school district, to try to determine if a child is Autistic.

Having said that, if you have a high functioning child on the spectrum that makes eye contact, has ok motor skills and is verbal, ADOS is worthless.

I can tell you this from experience. I would NOT rely on that testing as any definitive measure of diagnosis. I would see a NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST for Autism testing.

Sorry I didn't have anything positive. Good luck to you.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I agree with Janna. SKIP the school district, it is usually not a good evaluation. in my opinion private NeuroPsychs (you can find them at University and Children's hospitals) are the very best testers for ALL disorders so, if you go, you are covering everything. We had ten hours of testing in two hour increments. No other professionals bothered to do more than listen to me and observe my son for an hour tops. This is real intensive testing. The behavior--the way your child relates to the evaluator--is significant. It isn't just IQ testing. A child can have a high IQ and still have a disorder. If a child doesn't relate well to others or can't make eye contact or is very uncomfortable with strangers or won't play with toys--all of that could point to a particular problem. Good luck!
 
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