You don’t understand why your child acts the way she does, or perhaps, you’ve always wondered why you act the way you do; you suspect an autism spectrum disorder and you’re ready to seek some answers.

Where do you begin?

Call ASC! Then read this:

The first thing is to understand why a diagnosis or formal evaluation is important. First, and foremost, while there may be some overlap with respect to treatments for a variety of developmental conditions, it is best to be as specific as possible to address the needs of your child and to target the interventions that will have the greatest effect.

Secondly, but potentially as important, is the fact that in order to obtain the necessary services for your child from the public school system or other public agencies, you will need to prove that he or she needs the services. Unfortunately, they won’t take your word for it.

Even if you don’t need to rely on public institutions to provide services for your child, more likely than not, you may still be dealing with a health insurance provider and they are just as discriminating with respect to what services they will provide for which conditions.

In short, unless you are completely financially independent, you will need a professionally administered educational and/or psychological evaluation or diagnosis in order to begin the vitally necessary services for your child.

With such importance on early intervention with any developmental disability — especially something as potentially pervasive as an autism spectrum disorder — an approach toward diagnosis and evaluation is to go take the shortest path and the one that offers the least resistance. Your school district’s Child Find, Early Childhood Education and/or autism team are charged by the state and federal governments to perform such evaluations in a timely fashion and to provide services as quickly thereafter as is practical.

Start there, but don’t stop there.

Check your area resources to see if there is a qualified, licensed psychologist who has experience making diagnoses on the autism spectrum. If not, expand your geographical search circle until you find one.

You can stop there and you should have enough to seek public services and supports as well as satisfy the health insurers.

If you would still like to pursue a full, multi-disciplinary team evaluation at this point; you will likely not have lost as much time while you were waiting to schedule the comprehensive tests, etc., involved in such an approach. Again, these examinations will prove invaluable in addressing your child’s needs in the future.

Summary:

Step One: Submit a written request for an educational evaluation from your local school district.  Be sure to call the Autism Society of Colorado office or your local educational advocate. Call for assistance if things don’t go as anticipated.

Step Two: Seek a psychological examination by a licensed psychologist with some experience with autism spectrum (and other developmental) disorders.

Step Three: Check to see if that provider can bill your insurance or if they will be able to assist you in insurance billing.

(NOTE: This is generally backward from the practice of checking with the insurer to find a qualifying practitioner before contacting the provider. The reason for finding the provider first is that it is important to find someone with experience in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. This will be particularly true if there is reason to believe the diagnosis may be challenged at some time in the future. Yes, you are less likely to find someone who accepts your specific insurance plan, but if the diagnostic appointment is a covered benefit, most plans will have some provision for submitting charges for out-of-network providers. It will be worth the potentially added expense and effort.)

Other Resources/Links:

• ASC Asperger’s Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism Guide