This is what the research states too, so they are right.
They did the parental side with me using the ADI-R, and she scored well above the cut-off on that.
But because she scored below the cut-off on the ADOS-2, there was this big discrepancy and they seemed to rely almost solely on the results of the ADOS! They told me that because she has OCD (which is what I have reported to them, they haven't officially assessed her or diagnosed her with it) that this may have artificially pushed up the score on the ADI-R!
It's ridiculous. I gave them an extremely detailed history of her in writing which clearly shows she has all the traits of AS and they have told me "this is only 'parent perspective' and only one part of the assessment".
How is the ADOS-2, which they took approximately only 45 minutes to deliver with her, more accurate than an entire childhood history demonstrating all her traits! I gave them (in writing) actual examples of conversation where she took things literally, had phobias, melted down, failed to understand humour, all sorts.
Even the interview with me was rushed (barely an hour) and they only wanted to get answers for the questionnaire not have any actual discussion as they are supposed to.
She is highly intelligent, and went into it very resistant, having tried to glean (her sister has a diagnosis) what traits were AS ones so she could avoid showing them.
Anyway, I have emailed them the research as it backs up everything I have been fighting with them (CAMHS) about, and at a recent meeting the clinician kept banging on about how great the ADOS-2 was (!) and emphasising it, whilst denying that they had relied almost totally on it! (If not, how do they explain her scoring for ASC on the ADIR and them still not diagnosing her...
)
If you read the research, it clearly states that it is only about 77% accurate, it is prone to missing high-functioning people, the studies used for researching it were not the whole spectrum of people with ASCs but more classically obvious (or “prototypical”) cases.
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*Truth fears no trial*
DX AS & both daughters on the autistic spectrum