Impact of State-Level Changes to School-Based Autism Identification Criteria

Abstract

School and medical settings often use different identification criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disability affecting social-communication, behavioral patterns, and sensory experiences. Further, individual states may use varied definitions for special education eligibility. On January 1, 2019, the State of Oregon began implementing overhauled statewide criteria and evaluation requirements for ASD special education eligibility that directly align with current medical system criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Immediately following these changes, and then again 1 year later in January of 2020 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), we surveyed school-based practitioners across the state about their ASD evaluation practices as well as their knowledge, training, and beliefs regarding the newly revised standards. Our results indicated that practitioners felt more familiar with and had received better training on the new standards after a full year of implementation and that 58% of practitioners had changed their evaluation procedures in some way. However, 74% of practitioners reported that despite these changes, there was no difference in the number of students being found eligible for an ASD diagnosis, indicating that the real-world impact of the statewide policy change might be more limited than initially believed. Limitations and future directions are discussed.