WASI-II measures cognitive abilities across a range of domains and provides an estimate of a person's general intellectual ability (or Full Scale IQ - FSIQ). It is often used in research studies, and often used to screen for intellectual disability or giftedness, or to assess cognitive abilities in the context of neuropsychological evaluations or clinical diagnoses.
Uses in autistic population
- Assessment of Cognitive Abilities: believed to help identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses in verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning, which can be informative for planning educational/ behavioral interventions.
- Research: frequently used in autism research studies as measure of cognitive ability.
- Diagnosis: While the WASI-II itself isn't a dx tool for autism, it can be part of a broader diagnostic assessment as it is believed that understanding an individual's cognitive functioning can perhaps provide context for other symptoms or behaviors.