Beyond ADOS-2-Centered Autism Diagnosis: A Critical Narrative Review of Specificity, Validation Populations, Contemporary Childhood, and Etiological and Functional Assessment

Background

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), can contribute to autism assessment, but its institutional authority can exceed the evidence supporting its use. An observational classification cannot independently establish developmental history, exclude alternative explanations, determine medical etiology, or identify an individual child's treatment priorities.