Personalized Lifespan Approach to Autism Assessment: A Clinical and System Framework for Developmentally Informed Assessment Across the Life-Course.
Melanie Penner, Rebecca McNally Keehn
A framework paper proposing that autism diagnosis be decoupled from other assessments and spread across the lifespan.
No data, no participants, no findings to act on.
What this paper is
This is a perspective paper by two clinical teams (Ontario, Canada and Indiana, USA) proposing a framework for organizing autism assessment across the lifespan. It argues that categorical diagnosis should be separated from other assessments (cognitive, mental health, vocational) and that community-based clinicians can handle initial diagnosis, citing the authors' prior studies on streamlined community assessment. It contains no participants, no methods, and no results of its own. There is no finding here to change your practice on.
Declared interests
Dr. Penner reports paid consulting with Addis & Associates/Roche, the Province of Nova Scotia, and MedCounsel, and research funding from CIHR, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, and Autism Speaks. Dr. McNally Keehn reports workshop/consultant fees from Purdue University, a pending patent for an autism clinical decision support device, and research funding from Riley Children's Foundation, Indiana Department of Health, Spencer Foundation, Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, and NIH.
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