Autism Evaluations
Hearing that your child has been referred for an Autism evaluation by a pediatrician, teacher, or other professional can feel overwhelming. At The Speech Spot, we are here to provide compassionate support for you, your child, and your family, no matter the outcome of the evaluation.
Our team wants you to know one thing: your child is the exact same amazing person they’ve always been, with or without a diagnosis.
An Autism diagnosis doesn’t define your child—it’s simply a tool to help guide them toward the support and strategies they need to thrive.
What is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), often referred to as Autism, is described as a spectrum disorder, meaning it encompasses a wide range of strengths, challenges, and behaviors. While some individuals may exhibit noticeable traits, many fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Autism is not a "one-size-fits-all" condition—it’s a combination of differences in communication, social interaction, and restrictive or repetitive behaviors.
According to the DSM-4, to receive a diagnosis of autism, an individual must exhibit
deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication skills, and developing/maintaining/understanding relationships as well as any 2 of the following 4 traits: stereotyped/repetitive motor movements, insistence on sameness, highly restricted/fixated interests, or hypo- or hyper-reactivity to sensory input/unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment.
Why an Accurate
Diagnosis Matters
Because Autism is a spectrum disorder and encompasses a wide range of strengths, challenges, and behaviors it presents differently in each person and can often be misdiagnosed or even overlooked by parents and professionals.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is an essential step as it provides caregivers and families with:
-
A clearer understanding of their child’s needs
-
Access to tailored therapies, educational plans, and support services
-
Support for your family
-
Ideas on how best to meet your child’s needs at home, school, the community
Supporting Families Through the Journey
At The Speech Spot, we understand that navigating the Autism diagnosis process can be overwhelming. Our team is here to provide guidance, resources, and expert therapies to support your child’s growth in communication, social skills, and beyond.
Our team uses the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS-2) for our Autism evaluations. Our therapists who administer the ADOS-2 were trained by co-author of the ADOS, Dr. Somer Bishop, through the Lincoln Institute of Applied Psychology online continuing education course. The ADOS-2 may be combined with other speech and language assessments to provide a comprehensive evaluation in the area of communication depending on your main concerns.
Our Autism Evaluations typically last 3 hours - the first 2 hours your child will complete various tasks and activities with 2 licensed therapists through the ADOS assessment. Our team will then meet for approximately 30 minutes to score the test, discuss results, and determine recommendations (during this time we often suggest families walk around or go get a snack - 2 hours is a long time for any kid to focus with us!). We will then meet with you (again!) at our clinic and go over the results and recommendations with you. This is a great time to ask any questions you have and setup the next best steps for your child. Support for your child and family doesn’t end there! We at The Speech Spot are here to guide and support your child through the next avenue that they take, whether that be making suggestions for school, recommending various therapies, or solely being a shoulder for you to lean on during your child’s journey,
"I highly recommend The Speech Spot for Speech Therapy Liz and Kate the owners are amazing. They return every phone call and are so loving and caring with my grandson.They have exceptional interpersonal skills and will work well with children of all different levels."
- Vicki S