1.
Relating to People
No Evidence of Difficulty or abnormality in relating to people: The child’s behaviour is
1 appropriate for his or her age. Some shyness, fussiness, or annoyance at being told what to
dop may be observed, but not to an atypical degree
DIRECTIONS
1.5
For each category, use the space provided in the Mildly Abnormal Relationships: The child may avoid looking the adult in the eye, avoid the
observation section for taking notes concerning the 2 adult or become fussy if interaction is forced, be excessively shy, not be as responsive to the
behaviours relevant to that item. After you have finished adult as is typical, or cling to parents somewhat more than most children of that same age.
observing the child, rate the behaviours relevant to each
item by circling the number that corresponds to the 2.5
statement that best describes the child. You may indicate
Moderately Abnormal Relationship: The child shows aloofness (seems unaware of adult at
that the child’s behaviour falls between two descriptions
by circling ratings of 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5. Abbreviated rating 3 times). Persistent and forceful attempts are necessary to get the child’s attention at times.
criteria are presented for each item. See the chapter 2 of Minimal contact is initiated by the child
the manual for detailed criteria. 3.5
4 Severely abnormal relationships: The child is consistently aloof or unaware of what the adult
is doing. He or she almost never responds to or initiates contact with the adult. Only the most
persistent attempts to get the child’s attention have any reflect.
2. Imitation
1 Appropriate Imitation: The child can imitate sounds, words, and movements that are appropriate for his or her skill level
1.5
Mildly abnormal imitation: The child imitates simple behaviours such as clapping or single verbal sounds most of the time; occasionally,
2 imitates only after prodding or after a delay.
2.5
Moderately abnormal imitation: The child imitates only part of the time and requires a great deal of persistence and help from the adult;
3
frequently imitates only after a delay.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal imitation: The child rarely or never imitates sounds, words, or movements even with prodding and assistance from the
adult.
3. Emotional Response
Age appropriate and situation-appropriate emotional response: The child shows the appropriate type and degree of emotional response, as
1
indicated by a change in facial expression, posture, and manner
1.5
Mildly abnormal emotional response: The child occasionally displays a somewhat inappropriate type of degree of emotional response.
2
Reactions are sometimes unrelated to the objects or events surrounding him or her.
2.5
Moderately abnormal emotional response: The child shows definite signs of inappropriate type and or degree of emotional response.
3 Reactions may be quite inhibited or excessive and unrelated to the situation; child may grimace, laugh, or become rigid even though no
apparent emotion producing objects or events are present.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal emotional response: Responses are seldom appropriate to the situation, once the child gets in a certain mood, it is very
difficult to change the mood. Conversely, the child may show wildly different emotions when nothing has changed.
4. Boody Use
1 Age-appropriate body use: The child moves with the same ease, agility, and coordination as a normal child of the same age.
1.5
Mildly abnormal body use: Some minor peculiarities may be present. Such as clumsiness, repetitive movements,, poor coordination, or the
2
appearance of more unusual movements.
2.5
Moderately abnormal body use: Behaviours that are clearly strange or unusual for a child of this age may include strange dinger movements,
3
peculiar body or finger posturing, staring or picking at the body, self-directed aggression, rocking, spinning, finger-wiggling, toe-walking.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal body use: Intense or frequent movements of the type listed above are signs of severely abnormal body use. These
behaviours may persist despite attempts to discourage them or involve the child in other activities.
5. Object Use
Appropriate interest in, or use of, toys and other objects: the child shows normal interest in toys and other objects appropriate for his or her
1
skills level and uses these toys in an appropriate manner.
1.5
Mildly inappropriate interest in, or use of, toys and other objects: The child may show atypical interest in a toy or play with it in an
2
inappropriately childish way (e.g., banging or sucking on the toy).
2.5
Moderately inappropriate interest in, or use of, toys and other objects: The child may show little interest in toys or other objects, or may be
3 preoccupied with using an object or toy in some strange way. He pr she may focus on some insignificant part of a toy, becomefascinated with
light reflecting off the object, repetitively move some part of the object, or play with one object exclusively.
3.5
4 Severely inappropriate interest in, or use of, toys and other objects: The child may engage in the same behaviours as above, with greater
frequency and intensity. The child is difficult to distract when engaged in these inappropriate activities.
6. Adaptation to Change
Age-appropriate adaptation to change: While the child may notice or comment on changes in routine, he or she accepts these changes without
1
undue distress.
1.5
Mildly abnormal adaptation to change: When an adult tries to change tasks, the child may continue the same activity or use the same
2
materials.
2.5
Moderately abnormal adaptation to change: The child actively resists changes in routine, tries to continue the old activity, and is difficult to
3
distract. He or she may become angry and unhappy when an established routine is altered.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal adaptation to change: The child shows severe reactions to change. If a change is forced, he or she may become axtremely
angry or uncooperative and respond with tantrums.
7. Visual Response
Age-appropriate visual response: The child’s visual behaviour is normal and appropriate for his or her age. Vision is used together with other
1
semses as a way to explore a new object.
1.5
Mildly abnormal visual response: The child must be occasionally reminded to look at objects. The child may be more interested in looking at
2
mirrors or lighting than are his or her peers, may occasionally stare off into space, or may also avoid looking people in the eye.
2.5
Moderately abnormal visual response: The child must be reminded frequently to look at what he or she is doing. He or she may stare into
3
space, avoid looking people in the eye, look at objects from an unusual angle, or hold objects very close to the eyes.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal visual response: The child consistently avoids looking at people or certain objects and may show ectreme forms of other
visual peculiarities described above.
8. Listening Response
Age-appropriate listening response: The child’s listening behaviour is normal and appropriate for his or her age. Listening is used together with
1
other senses.
1.5
Mildly abnormal listening response: They may be some lack of response or mild overreaction to certain sounds. Responses to sounds may be
2
delayed and sounds may need repetition to catch the child’s attention. The child may be distracted by extraneous sounds.
2.5
Moderately abnormal listening response: The child’s responses to sounds vary; often ignores a sound the first few times it is made; may be
3
startied or cover ears when hearing some everyday sounds.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal listening response: The child overreacts and /or underreacts to sounds to an extremely marked degree, regardless of the
type of sound.
9. Taste, Smell, and Touch Response and Use
Normal use of, and response to, taste, smell, and touch: The child explores new objects in an age-appropriate manner, generally by feeling and
1 looking. Taste or smell may be used when appropriate. When reacting to minor everyday pain, the child expresses discomfort but does not
overreact.
1.5
Mildly abnormal use of, and response to, taste, smell, and touch: the child may persist in putting objects in his or her mouth; may smell or
2
taste inedible objects; may ignore or overreact to mild pain that a normal child would express as discomfort.
2.5
Moderately abnormal use of, and response to, taste, smell, and touch: The child may be moderately preoccupied with touching, smelling, or
3
tasting objects or people. The child may either react too much or too little.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal use of, and response to, taste, smell, and touch: The child may be preoccupied with touching, smelling, or tasting objects
or people more for the sensation than for normal exploration or use of the objects. The child may completely ignore pain or react very strongly
to slight discomfort.
10. Fear of Nervousness
1 Normal fear or nervousness: The child’s behaviour is appropriate both to the situation and his or her age.
1.5
Mildly abnormal fear and nervousness: The child occasionally shows too much or too little fear and nervousness compared to the reaction of a
2
normal child of the same age in a similar situation.
2.5
Moderately abnormal fear and nervousness: The child shows either quite a bit more or quite a bit less than is typical even for a younger child
3
in a similar situation.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal fear and nervousness: Fear persists even after repeated experience with harmless events or objects. It is extremely difficult
to calm or comfort the child. The child may, conversely, fail to show appropriate regard for hazards that other children of the same age avoid.
.
11. Verbal Communication
1 Normal verbal communication: age and situation appropriate.
1.5
Mildly abnormal verbal communication: Speech shown overall retardation. Most speech is meaningful; however. Some echolalia or pronoun
2
reversal may occur. Some peculiar words or jargon may be used occasionally.
2.5
Moderately abnormal verbal communication: Speech may be absent. When present, verbal communication may be a mixture of some
3 meaningful speech and some peculiar speech as jargon, echolalia. Or pronoun reversal. Peculiarities in meaningful speech include excessive
questioning or preoccupation with particular topics.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal verbal communication: Meaningful speech is not used. The child may make infantile squeals, weird or animal-like sounds,
or complex noises approximately speech, or may show persistent, bizarre use of some recognizable words or phrases.
12. Nonverbal Communication
1 Normal use of nonverbal communication: age and situation appropriate.
1.5
Mildly abnormal use of nonverbal communication: Immature use of nonverbal communication; may only point vaguely, or reach what he or
2
she wants, in situations where a typically developing same-age child may point or gesture more specifically to indicate what he or she wants.
2.5
Moderately abnormal use of nonverbal communication: The child is generally unable to express needs or desires nonverbally and cannot
3
understand the nonverbal communication of others.
3.5
4 Severely abnormal use of nonverbal communication: the child uses only bizarre or peculiar gestures that have no apparent meaning and
shows no awareness of the meanings associated with the gestures or facial expressions of others.
13. Activity Level
Normal activity level for age and circumstances: The child is neither more active nor less active than a normal child of the same age in a similar
1
situation.
1.5
Mildly abnormal activity level: The child may either be mildly restless or somewhat “lazy” and slow moving at times. The child’s activity level
2
interferes only slightly with his or her performance.
2.5
Moderately abnormal activity level: The child may be quite active and difficult to restrain. He or she may have boundless energy and may not
3
go to sleep readily at night. Conversely, the child may be quite lethargic and need a great deal of prodding to get him or her to move about.
3.5
4
Severely abnormal activity level: The child exhibits extremes of activity or inactivity and may even shift from one extreme to the other.
14. Level of Consistency of Intellectual Response
Intelligence is normal and reasonably consistent across various areas: The child is as intelligent as typical children of the same age and does
1
not have any unusual intellectual skills or problems.
1.5 The child has low intelligence (IQ score between 71-85) and does not have any unusual intellectual skills or problems.
Mildly abnormal intellectual functioning: The child has very low intelligence (IQ score is 70 or lower) and his or her skills appear fairly evenly
2
delayed across all areas.
2.5
The child has very low intelligence (IQ score is 70 or lower) and skills appear to vary across areas, but none is at or above average.
Moderately abnormal intellectual functioning: The child’s overall intelligence is in the range from intellectually disabled to average (IQ score
3 less than 115) and there is significant variability in skills. At least one skill is in average range.
3.5 The child’s overall intelligence is in the range from intellectual disability to average (IQ score less than 115), and there is significant variability in skills. At
least one skill in above average range. Extreme savant skills are not included here but are rated in category 4.
Severely abnormal intellectual functioning: A rating of 4 is given when extreme savant skills are present, regardless of overall level of
4
intelligence.
15.General Impression
1 No autism spectrum disorder: The child shows none of the symptoms characteristic of autism
1.5
2 Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder: The child shows only a few symptoms or only a mild degree of autism.
2.5
3 Moderate autism spectrum disorder: The child shows number of symptoms or a moderate degree of autism.
3.5
4
Severe autism spectrum disorder: The child shows many symptoms or an extreme degree of autism.
