BY DAVID A. KRUG, PHD, JOEL R. ARICK, PHD, AND PATRICIA J. ALMOND, PHD

This instrument helps professionals evaluate children with autism, develop appropriate instructional plans, and monitor progress. It can also be used for differential diagnosis, as it distinguishes youngsters with autism from those with other severe handicaps. 

Assessing five aspects of behavior, the ASIEP-3 is composed of the following subtests:

• Autism Behavior Checklist: Used during initial screening, this checklist describes 47 behaviors typical of children with autism.

• Sample of Vocal Behavior: Measures four characteristics of spontaneous speech—repetitiveness, noncommunication, intelligibility, and babbling.

• Interaction Assessment: Assesses spontaneous social responses and reactions to requests.

• Educational Assessment: Measures functioning in five areas—receptive language, expressive language, body concept, speech imitation, and staying in seat.

• Prognosis of Learning Rate: Examines learning acquisition rate, using a discrete trial/direct instruction approach.

Record Forms for all subtests are provided in a standard format, and a Summary Score Profile lets you quickly compare the child’s performance to patterns expected for youngsters with autism and for those with other handicaps.