Why Multi-disciplinary assessment or Intervention is better in Autism?

Multi-disciplinary assessment is an assessment carried out by different professionals in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is always better than conducted by one specific discipline.

In a multi-disciplinary team, each person carrying out the assessment will have different areas of expertise. For example, an assessment at Symbiosis may be administered by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, Behavior Consultant, Speech-Language Pathologist, and an Occupational therapist. All these professionals’ findings will be amalgamated at the end of a Comprehensive assessment to provide a holistic review of the child’s performance focusing on lots of different functional aspects and domains.

A multi-disciplinary assessment is usually most appropriate for children with Autism that need to be considered together as a whole. They may also be useful for children and families seeking therapy interventions of a specific condition (for example, Autism Spectrum Disorder).

  • Different areas of expertise will allow a holistic view of a child.
  • Many different aspects of the child’s challenges can be addressed within a limited time.
  • Different professionals trained in observing specific needs of the child can collaborate and discuss their findings with more than one specific professional or service provider.

Why is a multi-disciplinary assessment needed?

A multidisciplinary assessment may be needed if a child with Autism has multiple areas of difficulty that would benefit from being assessed as one. It may also be needed if a child has complex challenges that require lots of expert support. A multidisciplinary assessment may also be required if a second opinion is required from a different professional, which can then be provided during the assessment process itself.

Some examples of conditions that may require a multidisciplinary assessment include:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • ADHD
  • Acquired Head / Brain injury
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Down’s Syndrome
  • Learning Disabilities

Following your multi-disciplinary assessment, each member of the team will write a short report of their findings. These reports may provide specific advice to help manage each of the difficulties that were identified during the assessment. This will help to gather a holistic view of the child’s problems, different goals can be identified and prioritized as necessary.

A multidisciplinary assessment is an assessment that is administered by lots of different members of a professional team that have different areas of expertise. The report may also provide some recommendations for the treatment that may be beneficial depending on the child’s needs, abilities, and goals.

If you would like to learn more about our multi-disciplinary assessment service, do not hesitate to contact  [email protected] or call us at 778-395-8752.

Shalini Das

Director, Board Certified Behavior Analyst,Occupational Therapist

Shalini is one of the co-founders of Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy. She currently oversees the clinical and administrative departments of Symbiosis. Shalini has more than 25 years of experience working with children with autism and developmental disabilities.

Shalini completed her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy specializing in Pediatric Neurology in 2000. She also has her Masters degree in Special Education with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University.Shalini is listed in the RASP list as a Behavior Consultant and an Occupational Therapist.

Shalini has extensive clinical experience with assessment and program development that is designed to treat challenging behaviors, build communication, and functional life skills. Some of the team-based intervention which she incorporates are the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), SCERTS, DIR®/Floor time model, etc.

Shalini has trained & supervised several teams of therapists, parents, and other professionals on evidence-based behavioral strategies to improve the quality of life for the children. She also assists with the development and implementation of evidence-based treatment approaches, in addition to providing clinical guidance and mentorship to the Behavioral intervention team.

Shalini is certified to administer the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) from the University of Southern California and in Neuro-Developmental Therapy (NDT) from NDT Association, USA. She also enjoys working with children in Symbiosis embracing different therapy models while viewing the challenges faced by the children through the developmental framework.

Shalini is the mother of two children and understands the importance of considering the needs and wants of all members of the family when establishing therapy goals. She spends her spare time with her children and husband, reading, traveling, and cooking different recipes from around the world.