Latest / A Capture Deep Vibs A Positive Space For Inspiration And Embracing Of Heart / The Weird (But Real) Ways Autism Is Diagnosed

Transcript

The Weird (But Real) Ways Autism Is Diagnosed · A Capture Deep Vibs A Positive Space For Inspiration And Embracing Of Heart

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Have you ever wondered how a clinician evaluates and diagnoses autism?
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: It's not as simple as a boring questionnaire in a
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: cold office setting. In fact, some questions asked in the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: assessment can be pretty bizarre and confusing, but they all
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: serve a purpose. So without further ado, let's go over
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: the unique and sometimes very weird ways autism is evaluated
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: during an assessment. Let's begin. Toothbrushing. Did you know that
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: toothbrushing can be a test for autism? This is how
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: it works. Toothbrushing is one of the multiple parts of
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: an assessment for daily living skills and sensory sensitivities that
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: clinicians often use when evaluating for autism spectrum disorder, ASD. Why?
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Toothbrushing is a common area where challenges related to autistic
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: traits become apparent. For example, many individuals with autism experience
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: sensory sensitivities that make toothbrushing uncomfortable or even distressing. The
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: texture of the toothbrush, the taste or foaming of toothpaste,
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: the sound of brushing, or even the feeling of bristles
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: around the gums can trigger sensory overload. Additionally, difficulties may
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: arise from fine motor coordination challenges related to gripping the
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: toothbrush or following a sequence of brushing steps. Some individuals
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: might also struggle with communication or executive functioning, which affects
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: their ability to remember, plan, or independently complete the routine.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Clinicians use this information as part of adaptive behavior assessments,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Vineland 3, or
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, ABAS-3, which measure practical everyday skills.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: These assessments ask caregivers about how independently a person manages
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: hygiene tasks like toothbrushing, bathing, and dressing. Additionally, occupational therapists
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: may observe the toothbrushing process directly to understand how sensory, motor,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: and cognitive factors interact during the activity. So while toothbrushing
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: itself isn't a formal or standalone test for autism, it's
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: an important piece of the larger picture. It offers valuable
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: insight into how sensory experiences, motor skills, and daily living
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: abilities come together, helping clinicians paint a more complete picture
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: of an individual's unique strengths and challenges. Library or a party?
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Would you rather go to a library or a party?
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Trick question. Clinicians evaluating for autism aren't always checking whether
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: you say library or party. They're also secretly testing whether
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: you need lots of clarification, like if you immediately respond,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: it depends, I need more information to answer. Is it
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: a Harry Potter themed party? Where's the venue? And is
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: it close to where I live? Do I know the
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: people at the party? What kind of books are there
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: at the library? And so on. Clinicians take note of
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: this because it reflects the cognitive and social communication patterns
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: often associated with autism. For instance, many autistic individuals prefer
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: predictability and clear rules. So a vague social question like
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: this can feel ambiguous or incomplete without specifics. On the
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: other hand, neurotypical individuals might be more likely to give
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: a quick socially oriented answer like party if they're outgoing
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: or library if they're studious without needing to dissect the
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: scenario These kinds of responses can also give clinicians insight
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: into social motivation, anxiety, sensory preferences, and pragmatic language skills.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Someone who prefers the library might not necessarily be asocial.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: They could simply find quieter environments more comfortable due to
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: sensory sensitivities. Meanwhile, someone who hesitates or asks for more
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: details might be demonstrating analytical reasoning, not avoidance. The goal
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: isn't to judge the right or wrong answer, but to
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: understand how the person thinks, communicates, and experiences social situations. So,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: when an evaluator asks whether you'd rather go to a
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: library or a party, they're not testing your taste in
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: books or your social preferences. They're exploring your thought process,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: your tolerance for ambiguity, and your social cognitive style. It's
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: a small, deceptively simple question that opens a window into
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: how your brain interprets the world. A strong preference for
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: concrete information and communication is another key aspect to consider
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: when evaluating autism. Social scenario questions. Weirdly enough, some autism
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: assessment questions may make you feel that you're on a
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: television game show rather than a clinician's office. You might
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: be asked, if you found a penguin in your freezer,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: what would you do? Or if your friend looks sad
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: but didn't say anything, how would you react? As bizarre
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: and abstract as these questions may seem, I mean, don't
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: most people have penguins hanging out or chilling in their freezer?
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: They do serve a purpose, which is to evaluate whether
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: the person can apply social reasoning in a novel setting.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: Clinicians pay attention to whether responses are literal or abstract.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: socially appropriate, context aware, or focused on a single detail,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: as well as how the person navigates ambiguity without relying
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: on learned scripts. By using these unusual scenarios, evaluators can
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: assess core aspects of autism, such as social communication, empathy,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: and cognitive flexibility. while complementing observations of daily living skills,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: sensory sensitivities, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors to create a
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: comprehensive understanding of an individual's strengths and challenges. So what
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: do you guys think of this topic? We'd love to
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: hear your feedback and personal opinions in the comment section.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: If you're interested in learning more, check out our other
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: videos on autism, like 10 Signs You Might Be on
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: the Autism Spectrum by Brian Cham. As always, thank you
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: for watching and have a wonderful day.