New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guidelines Overview for Professionals

DISCLAIMER: I am no medical doctor, I'm just your normal Jo Bloggs who's sharing her lived experiences with Autism that was called Aspergers. If you see any warning signs/symptoms that may be related to any of the topics I share as of in the future, please seek a second opinion or treatment with a  medical professional. What I share with you in how I go about managing my autism will vary from person to person and that what may work for me, may not work for you and what will work for you may not work for me and vice versa. So, please be considerate while I give you all my advice and/or tips. The NZ Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline provides evidence-based information for people on the autism spectrum, their family and whanau, as well as health, disability, and education professionals and social service agencies.  It includes information about good practice that is evidence-based and aims to improve the health, educational and social outcomes for people with ASD. As part of the implementation of the Guideline, the Ministries of Health and Education established a living guideline process to regularly update the Guideline to reflect new evidence and changing user needs. Since the living guideline process was established in 2009, Supplementary Papers have been published annually. These provide updates in areas of applied behavior analysis, pharmacological interventions, supported employment, changes in diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5, gastrointestinal issues, social skills groups, and cognitive behavior therapy. For health professionals: Early identification of children with ASD is essential – it enables early intervention and is likely to lead to better function in later life. There is no cure for ASD. Parents’ concerns about their child’s development must be taken seriously. Pathways for people with ASD to access assessment need to be clearly identified. (The Guideline describes some of these pathways.) Multidisciplinary assessments through specialist ASD services are the best way to improve diagnosis. Robust information on effective assessment and diagnosis processes for different age groups is needed. Health professionals assessing people with ASD need to be aware of effective assessment tools and the role of cognitive assessment. For the education sector: A single approach or solution is unlikely to ever meet the needs of all learners with ASD. Educators need to choose approaches that fit the individual and their settings, and need to be skilled in providing a range of interventions Strategies need to be implemented right across home, early childhood education, school, and community settings if we are to achieve successful outcomes for children and young people with ASD. Most overseas educational intervention programs are based on three broad approaches: discrete trial training (DTT) contemporary behavioral and developmental research findings developmental (social pragmatic) approaches. Some programs include elements of all three. No one approach has been shown to be more effective than another. Current special education practice in NZ emphasizes participation and development, rather than ‘fixing’ the child. Teaching children with ASD in isolated settings away from other children is not the best practice. Children and young people must be supported to use what they learn in more than one setting. The best way to achieve this is for parents, teachers, and peers to work collaboratively. To read more you can find out here: https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-autism-spectrum-disorder-guideline

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