| Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule | |
|---|---|
| Purpose | assess autism in children, adolescents, and adults |
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is a standardized diagnostic test for assessing autism spectrum disorder. The protocol consists of a series of structured and semi-structured tasks that involve social interaction between the examiner and the person under assessment. The examiner observes and identifies aspects of the subject's behavior, assigns these to predetermined categories, and combines these categorized observations to produce quantitative scores for analysis. Research-determined cut-offs identify the potential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, allowing a standardized assessment of autistic symptoms.
The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), a companion instrument, is a structured interview conducted with the parents of the referred individual to cover the subject's full developmental history. The ADI-R has lower sensitivity but similar specificity to the ADOS. The ADI-R and ADOS are both considered gold standard diagnostic tests for autism.[1] However, neither of these tests are required by the DSM-5 for an autism diagnosis.[1]