Diagnosing children with autism and intellectual impairment in Kazakhstan

There is a dearth of literature and research on processes and practices used in the Kazakhstani context to diagnose children with special educational needs. The objective of this study was to explore the processes and mechanisms involved in the diagnosis of children with special educational needs, in particular Intellectual Impairment and Autism, in order to gain understanding of these processes and practices within this context. Insights were provided by a range of specialists engaged in the diagnosis process, through a survey and face to face interviews across 4 regions. Findings reveal that there are divergent views and approaches used to diagnose intellectual impairment and autism and do not always relate to those which are internationally accepted. This study suggests the need for the development of objective tools and officially standardized methods to avoid subjective diagnosis, the need for more training of all specialists involved and the need for greater interprofessional, multidisciplinary approaches to diagnosis.