Assessment in autism spectrum disorder: the convergence of knowledge and experience between parents and professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-6149.v36e236922Keywords:
autism spectrum disorder, early childhood intervention, assessmentAbstract
This study aims to compare the assessments made by Early Childhood Intervention professionals and the families of children with ASD, aged between 3 and 6, in the dimensions of “Social Communication”, “Repetitive Behavior and Reduced Interests” and “Sensory Processing”. The instrument used was the “Assessment Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” by Reis, Pereira and Almeida, in a sample of 77 children with ASD, in mainland Portugal, aged between 3 and 6 years. A descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out using SPSS version 28.0. The results obtained reflect the discrepancies in the assessments given by professionals and families. Parents seem to have a more positive perception of their children's “Social Communication”. The “educational” and “professional” level of the parents had no influence on the evaluations given to the children, as did the “professional category” of the professionals. The “age” of the child was found to have no influence on the assessments made by parents and professionals in the three dimensions under study. The “gender” variable had an influence on the results of the evaluations, and it was found that both the professionals and the parents evaluated female children with ASD more positively.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Helena Filipa Lima Gonçalves, Helena Isabel Silva Reis, Ana Paula Silva Pereira
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