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Autism spectrum disorder is an umbrella term for children. ASD has different severity. Autism has also distinct symptom characteristics. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. That is why Autism spectrum disorder is a syndrome, as its name implies. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. What are key trends in the evaluation and treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorder? Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. That is a very good question. Because we have learned a lot in terms of the assessment process. A multidisciplinary assessment is essential for children who are thought to be different. We get many families who feel that their child is different or underperforming in school. Child could be behaving in a rather odd way. Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. Parents want to know whether their child is autistic or not. It is every parent’s nightmare to have an autistic child. Because the child is very often unable to have any kind of social relationship. Even with the parents of the child. So we do a sort of structured assessment of autistic spectrum disorder. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. This autism evaluation method has evolved over many years. It is a robust methodology, because it gives consistent results. We don’t like to give children a diagnostic label like autism. Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. We must be absolutely certain that they fulfill autism diagnostic criteria on full testing. Because it is a lifetime diagnosis. Autism spectrum disorder is not just a diagnosis that gets better after six months. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. It is a lifetime diagnosis. This has enormous impact on schooling, education and future lifestyle. We have a special social and communication disorder clinic. Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. The process of assessment is important. Because it captures the multidisciplinary aspect of autism spectrum disorder. First of all, the child has a clinical evaluation by one of our senior neuro-developmental pediatricians or psychiatrists, myself, for example, or Professor David Skuse. Secondly, they do ADOS, this is Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. This is a structured series of activities. We videotape all evaluation. So that we can review the child’s response to the various different questions and activities. Then there is a 3-D interview. This is a detailed computer-based interview. This has a lot of algorithms built into the program. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. This interview gives the child a score in various key areas. Then finally there is a psychometric profile, this is a cognitive skills profile. All of those diagnostic tests are done. Then we have a school visit, if there is any doubt about the diagnosis. Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. We would like to see children at school. All of those processes are then brought together into a single point of assessment. Our goal is to offer a firm diagnosis based on the evidence that we have established. Or not. We are quite good at identifying children who are autistic. Because we have been seeing autistic children for such a long time. It is rare, it is quite unusual for us to overturn previous diagnosis, for example. Professor Dr. Ricky Richardson, MD. We carefully evaluate the child when the child gets accepted for referral to the clinic. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. What are the distinctive diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome? It is a controversial topic. Renowned pediatrician, ADHD and Autism expert, Prof. Ricky J Richardson, on how to properly assess a child with suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD]. How certain is his multidisciplinary team if they make an ASD diagnosis?