- Diagnostic Folders -

Autism Spectrum Disorder

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiartry

“Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition which is usually diagnosed in the first 3 years of life. Generally parents become concerned when their child has delays in speech development, limited social relatedness, and restricted interests and activities. The child may avoid direct eye contact and exhibit odd behaviors such as focusing on parts of objects (e.g. the spinning wheel of a toy car). There may be unusual motor movements such as hand flapping, self-stimulation or walking on toes.”

The following resources are provided to assist primary care providers as well as parents/caregivers in working with a child who has autism.

  • Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) is a screening tool for parents to assess their child’s risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The M-CHAT-R/F is an autism screening tool designed to identify children 16 to 30 months of age who should receive a more thorough assessment for possible early signs of ASD or developmental delay. M-CHAT R/F Translations
    English | Spanish
    Ages: 16 to 30 months
  • Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)
    Offers a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to routinely screen for autism spectrum disorders
  • Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)
    English | Spanish
    A freely-available, comprehensive screening instrument for children under 5 years of age. The SWYC was written to be simple to answer, short, and easy to read. The entire instrument requires 15 minutes or less to complete and is straightforward to score and interpret. The SWYC is approved by MassHealth for compliance with the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative screening guidelines. The SWYC is copyright © 2010 Tufts Medical Center. Every SWYC form includes sections on developmental milestones, behavioral/emotional development, and family risk factors. At certain ages, a section for Autism-specific screening is also included. Age-specific SWYC forms are available for each age on the pediatric periodicity schedule.
    Ages: 2 to 60 months

Read the viewing instructions to learn how to earn CME credit. Recordings are listed in alphabetical order.

  • Autism Spectrum: Historical and Current Presentations
    December 17, 2020
    Slides | Video
  • Autism Spectrum: Current Presentation and Treatment
    January 7, 2021
    Slides | Video
  • Adventures in Autism: A family’s experience with their son, Logan. Megan Carranza speaks with parents, siblings, experts in the field, and people with autism.

For caregivers:

Videos for Mental Health Professionals

  • Autism – What We Know (and What We Don’t Know Yet) This video, presented by the geneticist Wendy Chung MD, PhD, is useful for mental health professionals and parents who are interested in hearing a brief summary about the genetic and environmental factors that may predispose to autism spectrum disorder. Accessed from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? This video was made by the National Center for Learning Disabilities and is useful for mental health professionals. Accessed from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Videos for Families

  • A Teen’s Guide to Autism – This video is useful for teens and parents to learn about how people with autism spectrum disorder may behave and express themselves differently from others. Narrated by a teenager, the video helps teens to understand what their peers with autism spectrum disorder may be experiencing, with the goal of building empathy and preventing social isolation. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
  • Autism – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Pathology – This video is appropriate for parents and caregivers and describes the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder.
  • Marvelous Max – Autism Awareness for Kids – This animated video for school-aged children and their parents explains how Max, a child with autism spectrum disorder, behaves differently from other children in a social setting at school and describes the different educational needs of children with autism.
  • Sesame Street: Meet Julia – This Sesame Street video is helpful for parents or caregivers to watch with their children who may be interacting with children with autism. Here, we meet Julia, a character with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through the interaction of the characters with Julia, children can learn about symptoms of autism. Especially important for children is the delicate yet straightforward discussion of differences in social behavior that they may encounter when meeting a child with autism. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

All Ages:

Preschool-Kindergarten:

Elementary Grades (1st through 4th):

Adolescents:

Board Games and Online Games:

Picture Exchange Communication System

Consult Line: (888) 522-9654

The North Dakota Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Line connects Primary Care Providers with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for consultation during daytime business hours.