부산대학교 도서관

Although federal law has provided guidelines for autism eligibility for special education, school‐based autism assessment and eligibility vary widely across states and identification continues to lag behind national prevalence data. The main role of the school psychologist continues to be conducting evaluations for special education eligibility, and given current barriers, some school psychologists do not feel equipped to make a recommendation for autism eligibility. This article summarizes the barriers school psychologists face when conducting autism assessments in the schools, including systemic barriers, lack of training or professional development, resulting lack of confidence, among others. We conclude by highlighting recommendations for multipronged systemic changes that will improve the capacity of special education teams and specifically support the pivotal role of the school psychologist in conducting autism eligibility evaluations in the schools. Practitioner points: 1.Due to the lack of qualified providers, families are waiting longer to receive an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis for their children.2.School psychologists have the necessary training to identify deviations in development and are uniquely positioned within a natural environment of a child (i.e., the school) to identify ASD. Unfortunately, many do not feel adequately trained to evaluate for ASD.3.School psychology training programs should offer concentrated instruction in ASD assessment. If school psychologists believe they lack skills in this area once working in the field, professional development opportunities in this area are growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]