6 - Communication and Social Skills Assessment

Abstract

Comprehensive assessment of communication and social skills is a vital component in the overall provision of support to individuals with ASD and their families. This chapter reviews the major issues and contemporary approaches to the assessment of communication and social skills for individuals with ASD within a lifespan/developmental perspective. Assessment issues are often similar across the lifespan, but some assessment purposes (e.g., screening, diagnosis) are likely to be more of a priority in infancy and preschool than in adolescence or adulthood. Consideration is given to purposes of assessment and the most relevant communication and social skills to assess at each major life stage. To this end, a review of contemporary practices for assessing communication and social skills in individuals with ASD are included. In addition, this chapter covers basic concepts and procedures that underlie effective assessment of communication and social skills. It considers issues related to the definition, conceptualization, and classification of communication and social skills. It is also important to consider the various purposes of communication and social skills assessment and the range of procedures that can be used in an attempt to achieve each specific purpose. Reliability and validity are important in determining which of several procedures, tactics, or assessment tools should be used at each life stage and for the varying assessment purposes.