What exactly is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder associated with persistent deficits in reciprocal social communication and social interaction as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. While these deficits vary in severity with each individual, hence the term spectrum, symptoms are present from very early childhood. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to the following:

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Reciprocal social communication and social interaction:

• Avoidance of eye contact

• No clear smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months or thereafter

• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds or other facial expressions by 9 months

• No response to name by 12 months of age

• No gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months

• No spontaneous play of “pretend” games (e.g., pretend feed a doll) by 18 months

• Lack of initiation or continuation of play with peers

• No interest in group activities and prefers to be alone

• Exhibits delayed speech and language skills or remains non-verbal

• Repeats words or phrases over and over (echolalia)

• Any loss of any previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills

• Has difficulty talking about feelings of their own or other people’s feelings

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Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities:

• Repetitive motor or verbal behaviors

• Demonstrates hand-flapping, body rocking, or spinning in circles

• Repetitive finger movements

• Restricted or repetitive type of play

• Gets upset by minor changes in routine or surroundings

• Has obsessive interests

 

If your child exhibits any of the above more often than not, please don’t delay in asking us about an ASD evaluation or please meet with your child’s pediatrician immediately to determine if an ASD evaluation would be recommended. 

 

MMP offers a comprehensive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluation for children up to age 18

 

Our evaluation process requires 3 appointments and these are typically scheduled and completed within 2-3 months at our Dearborn office location.

 

Appointment #1 / Parent Interview

During this appointment, the psychologist will meet with the parent(s) to discuss a very comprehensive history of your child. The child does not attend this appointment. The appointment can take between 1-2 hours.

 

Appointment #2 / Testing Appointment

The psychologist works directly with the child to conduct the assessments. Testing includes a semi-structured assessment of communication, social interaction, and play (or imaginative use of materials) that is appropriate for children of differing developmental and language levels, ranging from nonverbal to verbally-fluent. The parent(s) may or may not be present in the room during the evaluation. This appointment can take up to 1.5 hours and is video recorded for review purposes only upon signed consent of the parent/legal guardian of the child.

 

Appointment #3 / Feedback Appointment

The psychologist will meet with the parent(s) to discuss the results of the psychological assessment, review the detailed recommendations for care, and answer any further questions you may have at that time The child generally does not attend this appointment. This appointment can take up to 1 hour.

 

How much will an ASD evaluation cost?

 

The cost of the evaluation will vary based on your insurance policy and the type of testing done. We provide "rule-out" ASD diagnosis evaluations and more comprehensive ASD/ADHD evaluations. Some insurance policies do not cover this testing, and any portions not covered are the patient's responsibility. We can only provide a quote from your insurance and cannot guarantee coverage.

 

The evaluation for children involves a clinical interview with the child's parent(s), behavioral assessment, client record review, scoring, interpretation of results, and a review of results and recommendations with the parents.