1. The Division, in cooperation and guidance with the Department of Education, representatives of the school districts in this State and the Commission, shall prescribe by regulation a statewide standard for measuring outcomes and assessing and evaluating persons with autism spectrum disorders through the age of 21 years who receive services through the State or a local government or an agency thereof. The regulations must designate a protocol based upon accepted best practices guidelines which includes at least one standardized assessment instrument that requires direct observation by the professional conducting the assessment for determining whether a person is a person with autism spectrum disorder, which must be used by personnel employed by the State or a local government or an agency thereof who provide assessments, interventions and diagnoses of persons with autism spectrum disorders through the age of 21 years and by the persons with whom the State or a local government or an agency thereof contracts to provide assessments, interventions and diagnoses of persons with autism spectrum disorders through the age of 21 years. The protocol must require that the direct observation conducted by a professional pursuant to this subsection include, without limitation, an evaluation to measure behaviors of the person which are consistent with autism spectrum disorder, cognitive functioning, language functioning and adaptive functioning.

2. The protocol designated pursuant to subsection 1 must be used upon intake of a person suspected of having autism spectrum disorder or at any later time if a person is suspected of having autism spectrum disorder after intake. The results of an assessment must be provided to the parent or legal guardian of the person, if applicable.

3. The Division shall prescribe the form and content of reports relating to persons with autism spectrum disorders through the age of 21 years that must be reported to the Division pursuant to NRS 388.451 and 615.205. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 388.451, the Division shall ensure that the information is reported in a manner which:

(a) Allows the Division to document the services provided to and monitor the progress of each person with autism spectrum disorder through the age of 21 years who receives services from the State or an agency thereof; and

(b) Ensures that information reported for each person who receives services which identifies the person is kept confidential, consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and any other applicable state and federal privacy laws.

4. The Division shall prepare annually a summary of the reports submitted pursuant to NRS 388.451 and 615.205 and make the summary publicly available. The Division shall ensure that information contained in the summary does not identify a person who received services.

(Added to NRS by 2011, 2703, 2713; A 2013, 3001; 2019, 3057)