Abstract
States differ in the procedures and criteria used to identify ASD. These differences are likely to impact the prevalence and age of identification for children with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to examine the specific state variations in ASD identification and eligibility criteria requirements. We examined variations by state in autism assessment practices and the proportion of children eligible for special education services under the autism category. Overall, our findings suggest that ASD identification practices vary across states, but most states use federal guidelines, at least in part, to set their requirements. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.
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Author Contribution
EB conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the descriptive analysis, and drafted the manuscript; BH conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, and helped to draft the manuscript; NL performed the statistical analysis and help in drafting the manuscript; LS, GC, and TJ extracted data from websites, summarized data, and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Barton, E.E., Harris, B., Leech, N. et al. An Analysis of State Autism Educational Assessment Practices and Requirements. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 737–748 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2589-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2589-0