Functional Communication Assessments and Autism Assessments
A Functional Communication Assessment is an evaluation used to determine how well a child uses their communication to interact and engage with others. A Functional Communication Assessment looks at skills like turn taking, reciprocity in conversation, making your wants and needs known, responding to bids or interactions, taking another's perspective and understanding sarcasm. Functional Communication Assessments are always a part of a full Autism Evaluation.
I would administer a Functional Communication Assessment if there was a concern that your preschool child or school-aged child has characteristics of Autism or is struggling with peer relationships at school. Understanding how your child interacts with his social world at home, with peers at his school and out in the Portland community is the goal of the Functional Communication Assessment.
Functional Communication Assessments include a variety of observation, informal, semi-formal and formal tasks. They can be lengthy as it is important to understand your child's communication across settings. A child with Autism will demonstrate deficits in social interaction/communication across all settings, but they may manifest differently in each setting. For example, a child in attending a Portland area school, may have different environmental supports in the school setting then when at home.
I would administer a Functional Communication Assessment if there was a concern that your preschool child or school-aged child has characteristics of Autism or is struggling with peer relationships at school. Understanding how your child interacts with his social world at home, with peers at his school and out in the Portland community is the goal of the Functional Communication Assessment.
Functional Communication Assessments include a variety of observation, informal, semi-formal and formal tasks. They can be lengthy as it is important to understand your child's communication across settings. A child with Autism will demonstrate deficits in social interaction/communication across all settings, but they may manifest differently in each setting. For example, a child in attending a Portland area school, may have different environmental supports in the school setting then when at home.
