How to Use the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) was first made available in 1995 to the American public to help determine whether a child is autistic. It also helps to pinpoint the degree of autism in the child. This test is usually administered by teachers and teacher's aids in school settings.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Private tutor
• Testing materials
• Records
• Teacher or teacher's aid
• Action plan

1. Use the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale for children and young adults ages 3 to 22. Other tests are available for children under the age of 3 years, and adults older than 22 years of age.

2. Inquire as to whether your child's school system routinely administers such testing for all students. If your child will be testing during the school year, make a request to have the testing done privately (after school hours) and at an earlier date. Express your concern for your child's care and your concern regarding autism.

3. Request that you be present when the school administers the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. This should help your child feel more at ease during the testing. The entire test will only take 10 to 15 minutes to administer.

4. Allow about 45 to 50 minutes for scoring after testing. Also allow time for interpretation and discussion concerning the results with the administrator, once the testing is completed.

5. Ask for a meeting with all your child's teachers at school to determine the outcome of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale results. A child may need assistance in one or more developmental areas such as communication or behavior.

6. Consider hiring your own child-development professional to assist the school system in caring for your child in a social setting. Other considerations include hiring a private tutor to work with your child after school. Use the results of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale to determine the amount of help your child needs and the degree of such help.

7. Reevaluate your action plan every few months. As you child learns new skills based on the results of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, his needs may change. Arrange to meet with all of your child's caregivers periodically.

Tips & Warnings

• Before purchasing the testing kit on your own, speak with your child's school for information on testing and costs. Some schools have programs for parents to offset the cost of such testing.
• For school-aged children with autism, once a year parent-teacher conferences will not allow for the proper communication between home and school. Arrange to meet with your child's teacher on a regular basis to assess your child's growth in school.

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[twohalibut]

on 11/15/2008 This information about GARS is not accurate. It is a rating form, not a test that is administered. Parents, teachers, care providers, or anyone with good knowledge of the child can rate the occurrence of stereotypical behaviors, atypical communication skills, and uncommon social interaction. It is not used routinely for students. Its purpose is to determine if a child demonstrates traits that are similar to other children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is typically part of a special education assessment and is interpreted by a School Psychologist. All assessment data must be integrated to understand the results of GARS. It would be an abuse of this tool to use it as a stand-alone test for diagnostic or planning purposes. For more information, visit the publisher’s website: www.proedinc.com.

[Frog4ever]

on 10/29/2008 For the school to do the GARS or screening for autism they should have the parent sign an assessment plan for special education. The GARS is also a form for the parent to fill out, return to the school. The psychologist will then do additional testing, write up a report and have an initial individual education plan meeting will all team members, including parents to go over assessment results. Results should not be expected on the spot or 45 minutes after testing as this paper states.