Neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD are increasingly being recognized as whole child experiences. Basic health screenings of infants and toddlers track milestones in multiple domains, including emotion, communication, movement, social interaction, and behavior. Experts recommend a more comprehensive evaluation when these basic screenings indicate that a more in-depth evaluation may be needed.
A holistic assessment strategy enables practitioners to look at multiple aspects of the body system, identity, and daily functioning. At the same time, it’s essential for practitioners to recognize the highly individual ways in which each person responds. The goal is to balance the following tasks with a neurodivergent individual’s strengths and challenges:
- Identifying the unique features associated with a specific neurodevelopmental condition
- Sequencing interventions to expand benefits for children and their families
- Determining if any co-occurring conditions are present
- Exploring related health effects through further testing
Three Additional Areas to Evaluate
There are three primary additional areas that must be evaluated as part of a holistic assessment strategy. Although none of these areas are necessarily part of a neurodevelopmental condition, it’s definitely wise to evaluate them anyway.
Sensory Processing
Assessing sensory processing patterns facilitates the identification of mismatches between a child’s environmental conditions and their sensory profile. For instance, a child with ADHD can experience sensory overload. In turn, they may experience difficulty with attention and memory, as well as mental fatigue.
This happens because neurodivergent children may process sensory information differently from their peers. Researchers believe that differences in sensory processing may even impact how the brain develops (Fabio et al., 2024).
Executive Function
The term executive function refers to a set of skills that include planning and organizing to achieve goals. These skills include the ability to exercise self-control, the ability to shift focus from one task to another, and working memory.
Executive function differences are common in autistic children and those with ADHD. Using basic adaptive behaviors in school becomes particularly challenging for individuals with impaired executive functioning skills (Tschida et al., 2022).
Motor Skills
Motor delays are often the first indication that a child may require an autism assessment. Furthermore, ADHD and autism often have an overlap with developmental coordination disorder. Tracking a child’s motor skills may help explain why it’s more challenging for them to play with their peers, learn nonverbal communication methods easily, and explore their surroundings (Miller et al., 2024).
Adaptive Behavior Assessments Help Holistic Strategies
One component of a comprehensive holistic strategy is to have a child undergo an adaptive behavior assessment like the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3). By learning about their strengths and challenges, it becomes easier to help them further develop their adaptive behavior in various environments. Therefore, be sure to include ABAS-3 in your overall assessment strategy.
