Child & Family

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Clinic is based at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carol Capehart, MA, LPA leads the ASD Clinic and offers evaluation and treatment services.

Autism primarily affects three areas of behavior:  communication, social interactions or connectedness, and behavioral rigidity.  Because autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed based on behavior, an evaluation includes both formal assessment tools, as well as structured play and interaction scenarios.  Standardized tests are used for this purpose, and usually include the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV-Integrated (WISC-IV-I), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), and others.  The ADOS is a semi-structured assessment that specifically examines those behaviors commonly associated with autism. The Wechsler scales are widely used and broadly accepted tests of cognitive skills for children with and without developmental delays or learning differences.  Additional information is gathered from people who are most familiar with the child via Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Gilliam's Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2), Gilliam's Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS), Social Responsiveness Scale, Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior System-Second Edition (VABS-2).  These instruments are in rating scale format and are typically completed by parents, caregivers, and teachers. Other standardized instruments and informal measures may be used as needed to determine the presence of the behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  Of course, each evaluation is designed to address the particular needs of each child and family.  In addition to addressing the impact of behaviors often associated with autism, comprehensive evaluations may include an assessment of cognitive and intellectual skills, educational performance, social/emotional adjustment, and independent living skills.

Therapy services include consultations with parents and caregivers, social skills groups for children, and parent support groups. 

Visit our website , www.childandfamilydevelopment.com, or contact Carol Capehart at ccapehart@childandfamilydevelopment.com, to learn more about the ASD Clinic.