Administration, Scoring, Reporting, and Samples of the ASRS

The Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS) measure the behaviors indicative of an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The ASRS can prevent under- or over-diagnosis, helping to ensure proper treatment. This rating scale is important to ensure that each individual gets a correct diagnosis and the care they need moving forward.

Implementation of an intervention plan is critical for individuals with ASD and diagnosing it early ensures that they can be provided with the tools and techniques they need to lead a relatively normal life and manage their disorder accordingly.

The ASRS is reliable and valid for individuals ages 2 to 18 years and can accurately diagnose those with ASD for the development of proper treatment plans.

Administration and Scoring Options

Every form can be administered with paper and pencil or by using the ASRS Online Assessment Center. Scoring can likewise be done using paper and pencil, the ASRS Scoring Software, or the ASRS Online Assessment Center.

Scoring options include a standard scoring method that can be used for individuals who do not have limited speech or an alternative scoring method for people who speak infrequently or not at all.
ASRS reports can be obtained by using either the ASRS Scoring Software or the ASRS Online
 Assessment Center. There are three different types of reports available:

●    An Interpretive Report, which includes detailed information and results from a single administration;

●    A Comparative Report, which includes perspectives from multiple raters and combines results from up to five different raters;

●    A Progress Monitoring Report, which includes overviews of change over time and combines results from up to four administrations by the same rater.

Components and Scale Structure

The ASRS includes both a full-length and a short form for children ages two to five years, and for older children and adolescents ages six to eighteen years.

The full-length ASRS form for ages two to five has seventy items and the full-length form for ages six to eighteen has seventy-one items. Separate rating forms for parents and teachers are included for each group.

The full-length form offers comprehensive and complete assessment information regarding the Total Score, ASRS Scales, DSM Scale, and Treatment Scales. The full-length form should be used when an individual is being evaluated for the first time, or if a full re-evaluation is being conducted.

The ASRS short form includes selected items that are best for differentiating nonclinical youth from ASD-diagnosed youth. There is a short form for children ages two to five years and a short form for youth ages six to eighteen years.

Both of these short forms contain fifteen items and the same form is used for both parents and teachers. The form provides one total score and is used to determine which children are more likely to need more evaluation or additional services for ASDs or related issues.

The short form is best used for monitoring treatment or intervention rather than initial screenings or re-evaluations.

Normative and Clinical Samples
 
From October 2006 to October 2008, more than 6,000 assessments were given and included normative data, clinical data, and reliability and validity data. Of the 6,000 assessments, 2,560 were in the normative sample.

These normative samples are evenly distributed among age and gender. They reflect roughly the same distribution as the most recent United States Census for race and ethnicity. Most normative samples include ratings for nonclinical children, but 7.6% of the ASRS normative sample includes ratings of children with clinical diagnoses or educational classifications.

They were included in the normative sample to provide an accurate representation of the general population of the United States, which includes children with and without various clinical conditions.

This is a guest blog entry.