Why Take a Whole Child Approach to Autism?

Children make great strides in their dynamic development, which is both amazing and challenging to keep up with. Unlike adults, children often seem like they’re growing in every possible category all at the same time. This makes a holistic approach to educational and psychological evaluations vital, meaning a child is evaluated considering all aspects of development. When considering autism, many families benefit from adopting a whole child approach to autism for a more complete evaluation.

Single-domain data is also useful, of course. For instance, evaluating their academic performance or pinpointing a clinical diagnosis can fulfill specific needs. However, a whole-child assessment enables a better understanding of the whole child in context, especially when implementing a whole child approach to autism.

What is a Whole-Child Assessment?

A whole child assessment is a strategy that accounts for a child’s background, daily functioning, neurodevelopment, social relationships, academics, and physical and emotional health. It’s a comprehensive way to learn more and meet them where they are.

It may seem that a whole child assessment will take more time. In reality, it’s actually likely to save time. Why? Because a siloed assessment can only address one piece of a complex puzzle. By choosing a holistic assessment, you’ll get a more complete picture right from the start. This enables your team to create an intervention and instruction sequence that will:

• Prioritize a child’s and family’s concerns
• Align with a child’s developmental path
• Spark growth in multiple areas of a child’s life
• Follow the science of learning

The Core Principles of a Whole-Child Approach

Taking a whole child approach supports overall development, rather than focusing solely on symptoms. For children with autism, using a whole child approach to autism is essential to align with all aspects of their growth.

• Holistic view: Considers how a child’s brain, body, environment, and family work together.
• Individualized growth: Fosters meaning and purpose by tailoring interventions and unique strengths to help a child reach their greatest potential.
• Neurodevelopment: Focuses on building robust brain networks for a wide variety of functions (motor, sensory, social, language).
• Integrated care: Coordinates therapeutic, medical, and family support.

Key Areas Addressed with a Holistic Whole-Child Approach

Creating a foundation for lifelong independence, health, fulfilment, and a higher quality of life requires treating a child as a whole person (Epperson, 2023). Therefore, there are several key areas addressed, such as:

• Body and brain: Brain chemistry, electrical properties, neuron function, and how the brain is affected by body systems.
• Physical health: Sleep, nutrition, immune function, metabolic issues, and any co-occurring medical conditions.
• Relationships and environment: Community interactions, family dynamics, and the creation of joyful, safe experiences.
• Developmental domains: Social skills, communication, self-care, motor skills, cognitive abilities, and executive functioning.

A Child’s Early Development

Throughout early development, the body and brain continuously read and respond to a child’s environment. Their brain architecture is built on their early childhood experiences. Researchers have indicated that “critical cognitive, social, and emotional learning takes place as we learn to move and move to learn” (Stodden et al., 2023).

A whole child approach encompasses a child’s sensory, language, social, motor, and emotional skills. Furthermore, it includes information from a child’s background that may have influenced their development. Notably, when considering autism, a whole child approach to autism is increasingly recommended by experts.

How Adaptive Behavior Assessments Help

Adaptive behavior assessments look at a neurodivergent child’s entire lifespan. It enables the child to embrace who they really are, rather than forcing neurotypical behavior on them. Assessments like the ABAS-3 are a convenient and comprehensive way to measure a child’s skills in daily life.

After a child has an autism assessment, they’ll be ready for an adaptive behavior assessment.

Once you combine tools like ABAS-3 with a whole child approach, neurodivergent kids become better equipped to thrive in their community. In short, a whole child approach to autism can help children reach their fullest potential by supporting every area of their development. The overall approach helps them achieve happiness, find their purpose, and develop resilience.