Online Autism Screening Tools
If you are anything like I was when I first thought my daughter might possibly be autistic then you have scoured the web for online autism screening tools. I took most that I could find and even printed out a few to take to the psychologist. Some professionals look down upon these tools and others are thankful for them. Our psychologist was thankful for it as it gave us a good starting point for conversation regarding my concerns about my daughter and her behaviors. I decided to compile a list of tools that I found; most of which I have used personally. Some are free, some require a small fee. I hope that you find this useful.
- Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) - This is a free screening tool. You will need to score it with the M-CHAT Scoring Key.
- Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) - This is a free screening tool that should be used at a child’s 18-month well child checkup.
- Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) - There is a fee to use this service. The M-CHAT is administered online for no additional charge at the completion of the PEDS questionnaire.
- Childbrain’s PDD Screening Questionnaire - This is a free screening tool. Please make sure that you answer the questions based on the directions given as they give detailed information for answering each question.
Again these are just screening tools and do not constitute a diagnosis. Only a professional will be able to make an accurate diagnosis for your child, should one exist. However I found these tools very useful in expanding my knowledge about my daughter and her behaviors and it also helped launch good dialogue between myself and professionals regarding her issues. If you know of an online screening tool that I don’t have listed here, please leave a comment with the link and some basic information and I’ll add it.
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