As the rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have increased to 1/44 children, school psychologists are increasingly expected to possess expertise in the assessment of ASD.  During the 2020-2021 school year, 12% of children who were eligible for special education services were eligible in the area of Autism. This series of workshops seek to provide updates on current research and build advanced skills for school psychologists in identifying ASD. The first workshop will focus on describing the key social communication symptoms of ASD as well as comparing the medical and educational models for the identification and intervention of ASD, specifically focusing on the nuances of identification within the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework. The second workshop will highlight common patterns of cognitive, adaptive, and academic skills found in assessment data that can guide assessment conclusions as well focus on identifying ASD in girls and racially and linguistically diverse children. Finally, the third workshop will discuss the importance of identifying common comorbid and differential conditions in order to direct evidenced-based intervention decisions for children.

Learning Objectives:

March 1, 2023
Digging into Differential Identification in ASD

• Describe common comorbid conditions in ASD,
• Summarize best practices in evaluating children in foster care for ASD,
• Compare and contrast symptoms for various childhood conditions, and
• Explain how understanding differential diagnosis directs evidence-based treatment decisions.

Presenter:  Laura Dilly, PhD, ABPP, NCSP

Laura Dilly, PhD, ABPP, NCSP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. She serves as a Psychology Program Manager, leading the Behavioral and Mental Health Outpatient Clinic and the APA Doctoral Internship Training Director at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Dilly also conducts interdisciplinary, evaluations with children and specializes in evaluations for children referred for neurodevelopmental assessments at the Marcus Autism Center and within the Developmental Neurology Clinic at the Center for Advanced Pediatrics. 

Dr. Dilly completed a doctoral internship in the Houston Independent School District focused on mental health crisis intervention before earning her doctorate in school psychology from Michigan State University in 2005. Prior to joining Marcus Autism Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Dr. Dilly worked in public schools for a decade in roles including lead school psychologist and training coordinator. As a board-certified Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Dr. Dilly is able to bridge the worlds of medically based and school-based psychological services for children and adolescents.

Dr. Dilly is actively involved in her professional community. She has served as a Disaster Mental Health Officer for the American Red Cross and was the 2019-2020 president of the Georgia Psychological Association. She values the translation of science to practice, regularly teaching community professionals about the early identification of autism spectrum disorders in schools and authoring the book Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment in Schools.

1 Hours Earned

Because of our Community of Practice grant this year, OSPA is able to provide this webinar for FREE to members.  Non-member cost is $15.

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There are no copyright restrictions on this document. However, please cite and credit the source when copying all or part of this document. This document was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, (Award number H027A210111, CFDA 84.027A, awarded to the Ohio Department of Education). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred.