Show Notes

Discover what’s possible when diagnosis opens doors.


What are considered the “gold standard” tools for diagnosing autism? 


If you’re curious about the history of autism diagnoses and observational assessments, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Dr. Catherine Lord.


Dr. Lord is an American psychologist and researcher. She currently serves as a member of the International Advisory Board for The Lance Psychiatry, co-chair of the Scientific Research Council of the Child Mind Institute, and the George Tarjan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Education at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. 


Credited for co-developing the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Dr. Lord is also known for leading one of the largest and longest-running longitudinal studies of autism in modern research, which began in 1990 and continues to follow a community sample of over 200 individuals. 


Dr. Lord has authored numerous books about autism and hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as received a considerable number of awards and professional recognitions. 


This episode is part one of our conversation, and we discuss:



  • Shortcomings of early autism diagnosis

  • Why autism was so hard to diagnose consistently

  • How the ADOS assessment tool was developed

  • What it actually does and does not measure

  • Common misunderstandings of the ADOS

  • Why a diagnosis involves more than a single test

  • Training and cultural considerations for professionals who administer the ADOS

  • The evolution of autism categories in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and why these changes matter

  • How families can explain an autism diagnosis to their child

  • Early detection in infants

  • Misconceptions about regressive autism

  • Self-diagnosis and access to autism assessments 


To learn more about Dr. Catherine Lord and her work, please visit: Dr. Catherine Lord UCLA Profile


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