Individualized Education Program for Children Suspected with Autism Essay - 1

Individualized Education Program for Children Suspected with Autism - Essay Example Language Sample Analysis – This is an informal assessment that seeks to gauge the level of mastery of communication. It is routinely conducted for both verbal (children that can speak and nonverbal children (unable to speak). The communication of a child is recorded either on a video camera or a tape recorder depending on whether a child can communicate verbally or objectives to be achieved. Analysis of the recorded material is thereafter done on the length of sentences, the use of grammar and communication functions for speaking children. In nonverbal students, the analysis is usually done on gestures and movements made by the children in their endeavour to communicate (Fouse, 1999). Play-based assessment – This assessment is appropriate for young children before they reach the age of six. Children suspected to have autism are usually observed in both structured and unstructured play situations where another person facilitates and dictates the proceedings. As such, it is quite helpful in providing information about a child’s level of development in relation to age, social-emotional, cognitive and language domains. For this assessment to be successful, it must be implemented by a multidisciplinary team that constitutes parents and other specialists. It is, therefore, a very important tool for checking the performance level of a child beside assessing other related services and performances (Fouse, 1999). Mother – Surveillance for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) should be carried on the mother to ascertain some critical information to the diagnosis of ASD. This informal assessment usually starts with getting the history of a family for the determination of whether other family members had been diagnosed with ASD and especially a sibling of the affected child. This is important because research has shown that young siblings of children diagnosed with ASD are ten times more likely to be diagnosed with the same.