Meet Susie, a seven-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Her parents have noticed that she has been having difficulty with her social communication and daily living skills. They decide to take her to a clinician specializing in working with children with ASD. The clinician decides to use the Autism Impact Measure (AIM) to assess Susie’s level of functioning across multiple domains. Here’s how the AIM works for Susie:
- The clinician explains to Susie and her parents that the AIM is a tool that will help them understand how she is doing in different areas of her life.
- Susie’s parents answer some questions about her behavior and daily living skills, while the clinician asks Susie some questions about her social communication abilities.
- The questions are scored based on the responses, with higher scores indicating better functioning in that particular domain.
- The AIM generates an overall score that provides a comprehensive picture of Susie’s level of functioning across multiple domains.
Based on the results of the AIM, the clinician can develop a treatment plan tailored to Susie’s needs. Here’s what happens next:
- The clinician identifies areas where Susie struggles, such as social communication and daily living skills.
- The clinician works with Susie and her parents to develop strategies to address these areas of difficulty. For example, they might improve her social communication skills by practicing conversation and turn-taking.
- Over time, Susie’s parents continue to use the AIM to track her progress and identify areas where additional support might be needed.
- With the help of the AIM and the clinician’s expertise, Susie can progress in her functioning and lead a more fulfilling life.
In summary, Autism Impact Measure (AIM) is a tool used to assess the overall functioning of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across multiple domains. It evaluates various aspects of an individual’s life, such as their social communication, behavior, and daily living skills, to provide a comprehensive picture of their functional abilities and areas of difficulty. Goally, a tablet-based product, can be a helpful tool for kids with ASD by providing fun and interactive apps that help build life and language skills.
