M-CHAT-R Assessment: Evaluating Autism Risk Factors in Children

This assignment involves the administration, scoring, and reporting of the M-CHAT-R test to assess autism risk factors in a child. The report includes background information, assessment techniques, and a detailed interpretation of the results, indicating a high risk of autism for the child. It emphasizes the importance of early diagnostic evaluation and intervention, such as ABA therapy, to improve the child's development. The report also discusses the potential for natural improvement with age and addresses the challenges of autism treatment, including fraudulent cures. The overall goal is to provide a comprehensive assessment and recommendations for the child's care and future development.

Running head: BCBA
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors note:

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Name: Carter Jackson Date of Test:
Examiner: Date of Birth:
Grade: Chronological Age:
REASON FOR REFERRAL
Carter Jackson. The child in question is suspected to be having autistic symptoms. The
test is aimed at understanding the risk factors of the child and whether the child is already
autistic. The child is referred so that the possible preventive measures can be undertaken and the
future deterioration of the child can be effectively reduced.
ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES
(M-CHAT-R/F)TM Test is used to understand whether the child in question is Autistic
and what the risk factors are in the future for the child. The technique involves the study of
behavioral aspects of the child, which includes whether the child intends to climb up things,
whether the child is prone to copying the people around or the teacher who is the person
reporting or informing about the child primarily.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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The informant is the teacher of the child, the relationship is of teacher and student, the
child is small and requires extra care for the various problems he faces for which the student is
examined.
ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION:
The shared scale of the M-CHAT-R TM is utilized to understand the risk factor for
autism. The questions are aimed at understanding the level of risk that can be associated with the
child and whether the risk can be classified as low risk, moderate risk or high risk.
Question Score
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 0
12 0
13 1

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14 1
15 1
16 0
17 0
18 1
19 1
20 1
Score- 9
The scale indicates that the particular child is affected by High Risk of autism but the
child is yet not completely affected by the disease. The high risk indicates that it is acceptable to
bypass the Follow-Up and refer immediately for diagnostic evaluation and eligibility evaluation
for early intervention. Diagnostic intervention is necessary for the student at this particular stage
because if nit diagnosed in this stage then it is possible that the student may be actually affected
by the disease in the near future. The diagnostics in the process includes the proper assessment of
the behavioral aspects of the child and to understand what are the clinical and other solutions that
can lead to a better future for the child. The teacher is the informant in this particular case and
the teacher is supposed to provide her assistance to the medical care givers who are associated
with the case so that the efficiency of the treatment increases. High risk children need specialized
care for them which is important to help the child in improving his health.
SUMMARY

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This is true that the improvement in the patients who are having autism is often slow and
it is generally held that the disease cannot be cured totally (Eyal, 2013). However it is seen that
in the mid-teens often the patients how dramatic improvement. There are certain responsive
therapies that improve the outcomes which re known as directive therapies. One such therapy is
the ABA technique or Applied Behavior Analysis (Heitzman-Powell et al., 2014). These are
trainings based on pivotal response. There are other approaches which are naturalistic and fall
under the same category of treatment. In this particular case the student is to be treated to similar
methods. The general process used for treating autistic children is the ASD diagnosis however it
has been noticed that the children suffering from autism come out of this particular disorder
naturally with age as they grow up. It has been found in most cases that 7 percent children’s
symptoms are cured with age.
There questions are aimed at understanding the behavioral aspects of the student.
Question number 3 states “does your child play pretend or make believe?”, question 9 states that
“does your child show you things by bringing them to you or holding them up for you to see- not
to get help, but just to share?”, these questions are mainly aimed at understanding the behavior of
the child. The analysis of the behavioral aspects of the child is important to finalize treatment
options so that the future chances of autism can be reduced to a considerable extent. The
diagnostics can be done in various methods and in this particular case the ABA method is chosen
based on the risk factor of the student and how much the particular method would be helpful for
the student (Hurt et al., 2013). The questionnaires are related directly to the therapy as the ABA
therapy is based on the analysis of the present status of the student who is diagnosed.
The child in this case also is expected to be cured in the near future with age. In this
context it has been discovered that there are cases of fraudulent cures. Most of the processes of

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cure in this problem are still not discovered and hence the cure of this particular disease called
autism is a matter of mystery. There are some tests to understand the level of autism in a child.
The most common option of treating children suffering from autism include behavioral analysis
based on intensive courses.
ABA therapy is believed to be the most flexible treatment as it can be applied on different
people in unique ways depending upon needs of them (Orinstein et al., 2014). This therapy can
be provided in various locations including schools, homes, and community centers. It can
involve one to one teaching process or group interactions. The skills taught and passed on are
generally applicable and proved to be useful in everyday lives. One of the main strategies used in
this positive reinforcement. In this process of reinforcement a particular behavior is identified
and seen as the goal to be reached and the person under cure is treated with values and rewards
for achieving the goals so that the concerned behavior is repeated. This encourages a positive
change in the behavior of the autistic child. Over a long period of time this method is proven to
cause improvement and improved changes in behavior of the child. It helps to develop positive
skills and enables the person to continue with the same. It does not have any set of goals or drills
and is planned according to the needs of the child. In certain cases the specific needs and
preferences of families are also included. The goals can include various areas including social
skills, motor skills, play and leisure, academic skills, language and communication skills, and
also skills related to self-care and growth. The process consists of small yet concrete steps.
Conclusion
This particular student is at high risk of autism, however if care is taken at the right
moment then it is expected that there will be possible improvements in the behavior of the

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student and will be helpful for his personal development and growth. It is important in these
cases that proper diagnosis is done before the treatment.
Reference
Eyal, G. (2013). For a sociology of expertise: The social origins of the autism
epidemic. American Journal of Sociology, 118(4), 863-907.
Heitzman-Powell, L. S., Buzhardt, J., Rusinko, L. C., & Miller, T. M. (2014). Formative
evaluation of an ABA outreach training program for parents of children with autism in
remote areas. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 29(1), 23-38.
Hurt, A. A., Grist, C. L., Malesky Jr, L. A., & McCord, D. M. (2013). Personality traits
associated with occupational ‘burnout’in ABA therapists. Journal of Applied Research in
Intellectual Disabilities, 26(4), 299-308.
Orinstein, A. J., Helt, M., Troyb, E., Tyson, K. E., Barton, M. L., Eigsti, I. M., ... & Fein, D. A.
(2014). Intervention for optimal outcome in children and adolescents with a history of
autism. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP, 35(4), 247-256.