The Role of Parent and Teacher Perspectives in Autism Identification and Monitoring
Accurately identifying mental health behaviors can be challenging, particularly when the evaluated person’s insight, self-awareness, and motivation to seek treatment vary. In the case of children, all of whom depend on a parent’s, guardian’s or teacher’s observation and a professional’s careful study, the challenge could widen. Relying on a single source of information may lead to inconsistent evaluations, increasing the risk of misidentification and ineffective interventions. This concern is especially relevant for conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), where symptoms often present differently across environments and perspectives.
ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social communication and interactions, along with restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities1. ASD is primarily diagnosed during childhood, often as early as 18 months; early detection of ASD is crucial for ensuring that children receive the necessary services and support to aid their development and enhance long-term outcomes2. Given that ASD behaviors manifest differently among children, gathering information from multiple sources is important for accurate identification and progress tracking over time.
The importance of multiple perspectives
Children often display different behaviors in various environments, and the adults observing these behaviors may have differing but equally valid views. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory underscores the influence of multiple environments on child development, highlighting how interactions within microsystems (e.g., parent-child and teacher-child relationships) and mesosystems (i.e., connections between these microsystems) impact the child3,4. Reports from parents offer a unique perspective into behaviors at home, while reports from teachers shed light on the transition to formal schooling and its impact on students with ASD. Each perspective, by way of parents and teachers, can reveal critical observations of a child’s behavior across various contexts and settings.
Differences in parent and teacher reports
Research has shown that parents and teachers recognize different symptoms of ASD in children. Parents tend to report more emotional and behavioral problems than teachers, such as heightened anxiety or frequent meltdowns5,6. In comparison, teachers notice more severe social-communication impairments and symptoms of inattention, including trouble forming and maintaining friendships or difficulty focusing during lessons5. The structure and expectations of classroom activities often shape teacher reports and influence how these reports differ from those provided by parents. For instance, a structured, routine-based school environment reduces the likelihood of a child encountering unexpected events or stimuli, which are key triggers for emotional and behavioral problems in children with autism6. Another perspective, frequently shared by parents and teachers, suggests that a child’s emotional or behavioral responses to the stresses of a regular school day may be postponed until they return home6. Given the differences in reporting behaviors and symptoms related to ASD, it has become increasing clear that input from parents, guardians, and teachers during the evaluation process, and when monitoring treatment interventions for children with ASD, is vital.
Broader insight with standardized rating scales
Assessments that collect and evaluate information from multiple informants — such as parents and teachers — offer essential insights into a child’s behavior across various settings. With MHS’ Autism Spectrum Rating Scales™ (ASRS®)7, a standardized rating scale that includes forms for parents and teachers, practitioners can measure symptoms and behaviors associated with ASD in children aged 2 to 5 years and youth aged 6 to 18 years. The ASRS uses a 5-point frequency scale to indicate how often a child or student is observed displaying specific actions in several areas, including, but not limited to, social-communication, unusual behavior, and self-regulation. The diverse normative sample of ratings of 2,650 children and youth with equal representations of genders helps ensure the ASRS provides reliable and valid assessments across different age groups and informants. Assessments such as the ASRS ensure more comprehensive perspectives than insight from a single rater alone and can help identify developmental patterns and guide interventions.
MHS conducted studies involving more than 500 parents and 500 teachers rating the same child, comparing scores to evaluate how well the ASRS conveys distinct yet interconnected information, as reported in the “ASRS Technical Manual.” Since parents and teachers observe children in different settings, their ratings may differ but should demonstrate moderate similarity. For the ASRS full-length forms, the mean correlation (calculated using Fisher z transformations) between parent and teacher ratings for the general population sample across all scales demonstrated a moderate relationship, with correlations ranging from .49 to .70 (p < .001). The clinical sample, which included children diagnosed with ASD, Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, and Language Disorders, showed stronger correlations, ranging from .70 to .96 (p < .001). Analyses of the ASRS Short forms revealed comparable patterns, with moderate correlations of .58 and .59 (p < .001) in the general population and higher values of .84 and .94 (p < .001) in the clinical sample for the ASRS (2 to 5 Years) and ASRS (6 to 18 Years) respectively. Despite these moderate correlations, 70-89% of paired parent-teacher ratings fell within a ±10-point difference, suggesting good overall consistency. While these findings indicate a strong alignment between ASRS scores obtained from parents and teachers, they also underscore moderate differences likely influenced by behavioral variability across different environments.
Parents’ and teachers’ perspectives are invaluable in the identification and monitoring of ASD. Their combined insights — between home and school environments — leave practitioners with a more comprehensive understanding of a child’s behavior and development. Standardized tools like the ASRS equip practitioners with the resources to synthesize these observations effectively, supporting accurate diagnoses and targeted interventions. This holistic, multi-informant approach leads to accurate identification, effective intervention and, ultimately, better outcomes for children with ASD.
References
1 American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: Fifth edition text revision (DSM-5-TR™). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
2 Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., Valencia-Prado, M., Durkin, M. S., Howerton, E. M., & Maenner, M. J. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder among children aged 4 and 8 Years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries, 74(2), 1–22.
3 Andoni, L., Hamsho, N., Blacher, J., & Eisenhower, A. (2022). Psychometric properties of a parent- and teacher-report measure for autistic children: Parent-Teacher Relationship Quality Scale (PTRQS). Journal of School Psychology, 95, 25–42.
4 Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The ecology of developmental processes. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., pp. 993–1028). John Wiley & Sons.
5 Avni, E., Ben-Itzchak, E., Saban-Bezalel, R., & Zachor, D. A. (2025). Parents’ and teachers’ perspectives of autism and co-morbidity symptom severity in young children with ASD over one school year. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55(1), 237–249.
6 Palmer, M., Tarver, J., Carter Leno, V., Paris Perez, J., Frayne, M., Slonims, V., Pickles, A., Scott, S., Charman, T., & Simonoff, E. (2023). Parent, teacher and observational reports of emotional and behavioral problems in young autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(1), 296–309.
7 Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2009). Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS) [technical manual]. Multi-Health Systems.
