Efficacy and Clinical Utility of the Diagnostic Scale for ASD

Abstract

In recent years. lot of progress has been. made in the earlier diagnosis of children with autism. Several factors have contributed to this decrease in the age of referral and diagnosis. While being welcome, this progress towards earlier referral and diagnosis presents new challenges to clinical practice. These include the accuracy and stability of early diagnosis, the utility of standardized assessment instruments with young pre-schoolers and the ability to indicate prognosis. The present study aimed at exploring the utility of one such scale called the Diagnostic Scale for Autism Spectrum Disorders on an autistic population. Results showed that the DSASD is an effective tool for the diagnosis of autism in these children and also bears scope for the profiling of these children.