Evaluations
*Our office will be closed through May 6th.* Assessment services are available through a combination of Telehealth and In-person sessions. Please contact us for more information.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations
FirstSteps Autism Evaluations, LLC provides Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluations (CDE) for children ages 1 to 5-years-old with developmental differences and concern of possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
A referral from your child’s medical provider or their Early Intervention team is preferred.
The current wait time for an evaluation is approximately 2 to 6 months, depending on availability.
Evaluation Process
How To Get Started
If you are concerned that your child may be showing signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder and are interested in an evaluation through FirstSteps Autism Evaluations, please click here to complete an Evaluation Interest Form. Completing this form is the first step you will need to take before we collect additional information and schedule your appointment.
After we receive and review your Evaluation Interest Form, we will contact you by e-mail with the next steps required prior to scheduling evaluation. These include completing intake and insurance paperwork via our secure Client Portal. Once we have received and reviewed your intake packet, we will contact you to schedule evaluation.
Your child's Pediatrician or Early Intervention team may fax a referral to us at: 833-972-1950.
What to Expect
Parents are an important part of the evaluation process for young children. During evaluation, you will be asked questions about your child's development and asked to complete rating scales. Depending on your child's age, you may also take part in a play-based assessment with your child and the Psychologist. Your child's developmental, cognitive, adaptive and social-communication skills will be assessed as part of a comprehensive ASD evaluation. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is administered as part of every evaluation at FirstSteps.
While you wait for your evaluation, please gather your child's medical and educational records, including copies of reports if your child has received testing or services through Early Intervention, Child Find, Speech and Language or Occupational Therapy. These records can also be uploaded to our Client Portal and will be reviewed as part of evaluation.
Once evaluation is completed, you will be provided with feedback and a comprehensive evaluation report with treatment recommendations. Reports are typically available within 1 week of evaluation completion.
You are welcome to contact us with any questions, or to make sure we received your intake packet and have your up-to-date contact information.
Re-evaluation Services
Children who have already been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder may need a re-evaluation in order to update the severity of their symptoms as well as to identify their current cognitive and adaptive functioning. Many insurance companies request a re-evaluation every three years in order for a child to continue receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) benefits. Your ABA provider can help you determine if a re-evaluation is needed for your child. If your child is 7-years-old or younger and in need of a re-evaluation, complete the Evaluation Interest Form below and we will contact you by e-mail with the next steps required prior to scheduling.
Moving Forward with an Evaluation
If you are interested in an evaluation at FirstSteps, please click the button below to complete an Evaluation Interest Form. If you do not have internet access and need an intake packet that you can download and print or if you need an intake packet mailed to you, please indicate this on your Evaluation Interest Form or contact us.
