Autism Diagnostic Evaluation

Parents often start to become concerned about ASD when their children are about 2 years old, but the average age for autism diagnosis is 4. Early diagnosis is important because when a child is diagnosed early, they can begin necessary developmental therapies to help teach them skills for communication, social interaction, and daily living. We know that seeking an evaluation can be a difficult step to take, but regardless of the outcome, the evaluation will help you learn about your child's development and next steps you can take to support them.

The CABER Diagnostic Clinic sees children ages 12 months – 18 years for ASD evaluations. If you, your child's physician, or educators working with your child believe your child may benefit from an autism diagnostic evaluation, please contact our clinic to get more information (caberdiagnostics@uga.edu or 762-499-0445) and schedule your appointments.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently offering telehealth evaluations for ASD with toddlers (up to 36 months). We will resume evaluations for older children and adolescents in our clinic when it is safe to do so.

The evaluation includes an initial intake appointment (1-2 hours), a testing appointment (approximately 2 hours), and a feedback session (1 hour). During the feedback session, we will share the results of the evaluation along with any diagnoses and recommendations to help address the challenges your child is experiencing. Several weeks after the feedback session, you will receive an official report in the mail.

The evaluation will include the following components:

• Parent interview (may include the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R))
• An IQ test specifically designed for children/teens to measure general cognitive abilities
• Direct Observation: Diagnostic structured play based observation of child's social communication and social interaction skills (typically including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule or ADOS-2)
• Measures of adaptive functioning
• Social-emotional and behavioral screeners
• Other autism symptom measures
• Input from teachers (if applicable and with parental permission)

Because UGA is a training institution, graduate student clinicians may also be involved in the evaluation process. Their participation is under direct supervision of a licensed psychologist.

The full assessment costs $1200. Unfortunately, our clinic does not take insurance but we do operate on a sliding scale for autism diagnostic assessments, which we will evaluate on a case by case basis. We are working towards the capability to accept insurance for payment, so please check back with us for future updates!

CABER is now offering diagnostic assessment of ASD for toddlers via telehealth. The evaluation will include a thorough diagnostic interview, an adaptive behavior assessment, and a live observation of the child's social skills and engagement with their caregiver using a tool developed by Vanderbilt University called the TELE-ASD-PEDS. Families will receive feedback about their child's development and, when appropriate, a diagnosis of ASD will be made. Regardless of the outcome, families will receive recommendations and information about next steps they can take to support their toddler.

We do not accept insurance for payment at this time. The current cost of the telehealth assessment is $480. The cost may be reduced on a sliding scale based on family size and income. We are working towards the capability to accept insurance for payment, so please check back with us for future updates!

For more information about diagnostic evaluations for ASD or to make an appointment, please email caberdiagnostics@uga.edu or call 762-499-0445.