1. Decide if you are ready for an appointment
If you are ready to schedule an appointment with a provider, you can directly contact our office to begin the scheduling process. Referrals are not required from your child’s pediatrician. We will happily submit the referral to expedite the process. We have NO waitlist for the initial “intake” appointment as we offer walk-in for the initial “intake” appointment.
2. Provide the child’s medical information
Scheduling the initial “intake” appointment only takes about five minutes. You’ll be asked some very basic information to secure the appointment.
We are here to make the process as smooth and simple as possible. Our goal is to help you. We understand that you have likely been waiting for this evaluation for a very long time and are very nervous about what the whole process entails.
3. Getting the initial “intake” appointment scheduled
Congratulations! You have taken the first step in starting this very critical process in completing Part 1. The entire Autism Evaluation from start to finish is a total of two parts. So, you’re half way there. Once you have scheduled your intake appointment, you will receive a text reminder to help remind you of your upcoming appointment. We are truly looking forward to seeing you. Once you receive the text reminder, please remember to reply to the text reminder to communicate your intent to confirm the appointment. These appointments are very much in need. If for any reason you believe you will not be able to attend, we completely understand. We will happily provide you with an alternate date and time. Once you have confirmed your appointment date and time, our office will be notified and we will begin creating your intake chart. Now, if we have not received a reply to the text message reminder, our office may make multiple attempts to remind you or assist with this process!
To help get ready for your first initial “intake” appointment please gather any documents and records that you may have for your child. This includes any school records, past or prior psychological or medical evaluations that have been completed for your child, and any relevant documents that you would like the provider to review. The more information you have, the better. You are welcome to send this to our office in advance of your initial “intake” appointment or you can bring it with you to your initial “intake” appointment. Whatever is easiest for you.
4. Arrival for your first initial “Intake” Appointment—Part 1
Welcome! Please make sure you have brought all of your child’s school and medical records to this initial “intake” appointment. If you forgot these documents, it’s still not too late. You can still reach out to your child’s school and prior evaluators, and request that they email you the records. Here we go, we are now at the first initial “intake” appointment, what to expect? Today, you’re not “just” filling out paperwork, even though that’s what it might feel like.
You are actually completing several critical parent questionnaires and rating scales about your child. These questionnaires and rating scales provide very important information about your child’s day-to-day medical, social, and behavioral functioning. The provider will review this packet as part of evaluating your child’s progress when making recommendations. Our assessment team will go over the intake packet with you in detail and provide specific instructions on how they are to be completed. We are also here to answer any of your questions as they arise. The initial “intake” appointment can take up to 2.5 hours to complete depending on your child’s current concerns. On the rare occasion that you do not complete the intake packet at your initial “intake” appointment, we may need to return you at an earlier time for your second “observations” appointment to ensure we are able to provide the most appropriate and best care.
5. Arrival for your second “Observations” Appointment—Part 2
We are at the finish line! This is the last step of the process. Congratulations for making it this far. This is a very exciting and fun day for us all. During this appointment you will have the opportunity to participate in a lot of fun play. Our provider will be observing your child and completing the testing. The provider will be speaking with you and/or your child about the concerns. Records will be discussed, results of intake packet will be reviewed, and recommendations will be made.
In summary, an Autism Evaluation consists of two separate appointments.
*Your child will need to be present for the second (observation) appointment, but they are not required to attend the first appointment. Depending on the needs of the child, additional appointments may be required.
PART 1:
Initial “Intake” Appointment: Completion of intake packet, questionnaires, rating scales by the parent/caregiver, and review of medical records.
*Your child is not required to attend the first appointment.
At the completion your first appointment (Part 1), our assessment team will review the entire intake packet for completion and schedule your observation appointment with your dedicated provider.
PART 2:
Observation Appointment: Standardized psychological testing of the child and further clinical interviewing with the parent/caregiver. The provider will also review the results of testing and give recommendations to the family.
*Your child is required to be present for the second (observation) appointment.
Throughout this whole process, the assessment team is accessible to you by telephone for any questions or concerns to make this process less stressful.