Usefulness of Different Types of Assessment Data in Diagnosing and Planning for a Student with High-Functioning Autism

Abstract

The study examines urban and rural school psychologists' ability to use formal and informal assessment data to diagnose autism and to plan an effective educational program for a male elementary student with high-functioning autism. The study also presents findings related to school psychologists' perceptions of the utility of formal and informal assessment information. Respondents had difficulty recognizing autism and distinguishing it from other exceptionalities, although this finding was even more the case for rural than urban psychologists. Nevertheless, school psychologists were able to select appropriate individualized education program (IEP) goals for the described student and generally agreed with a panel of autism experts on placement decisions. Contrary to expectation, respondents did not favor informal assessment data over formal assessment data when selecting IEP goals. Training and future research implications are also discussed.