Autism evaluations for children, from 12 months
If your child is missing milestones, or you have noticed something that does not sit right, you are probably wondering whether it is autism. That question is very hard to answer from the outside.
ADOS testing, a full written report, and clear next steps.
It takes careful work to tell the difference between autism, a delay with a different cause, and a child who is simply moving at their own pace inside a very wide normal range. That is what an evaluation is for.
We evaluate children as young as 12 months.
What parents usually notice first
Most families who call us are not quoting a checklist. They are describing one of these:
- Speech that is late, or words that came and then went away
- Social skills that are behind, or that seemed to slip backward
- A hard time with changes to plans or routines
- More interest in objects and toys than in people
- Strong reactions to things other children ignore: clothing tags, noise, lights, food textures
- Not turning when you say their name, or not following simple instructions
- Intense, narrow interests in certain toys or subjects
Any one of these on its own may mean nothing. Several of them together is worth a conversation.
What our evaluation includes
- A long interview with you, because you are the expert on your child
- Testing of developmental, thinking, daily living, and behavioral skills, plus interviews with other caregivers
- Direct observation of your child playing, talking, and interacting
- A review of any school or prior testing records
- The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), the gold standard tool for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders
What happens after
You come back in and we go through the results together. You get a full written report with the findings, a diagnosis if there is one, and specific recommendations. We talk you through what all of it means and what to do next.
If your child is diagnosed, that report is the document that opens doors. It is what you hand to a school district for special education services, what government-funded programs ask for, and what your insurance company needs. If other professionals need to run additional tests, we coordinate that with you so nothing falls through.
We know what it took to get here
Calling to ask about an autism evaluation is hard. Reading a page like this one is hard. We do this work, and deliver results, in a way that is warm and clear and does not leave you sitting alone with a report you cannot make sense of.
The earlier the support starts, the better it works. That is the honest reason not to wait and see.
Some parents start recognizing themselves partway through their child’s evaluation. If that is you, we do adult autism testing too.
Cost and insurance
Testing is $175 per hour. Most full evaluations land between $1,200 and $3,500 depending on what questions we are answering. We do accept some insurance for testing, and we will verify your benefits and tell you what to expect before we begin. See our full insurance and fee information.
Where we see families
Evaluations are done in person at our Woodlands office on Sawdust Road. That is the only location doing testing right now.
We can only evaluate children who live in Texas.
Is your baby younger than 12 months? We start testing at 12 months, but you do not have to wait to do something. Texas has a free program called ECI, Early Childhood Intervention, for babies from birth to age three. You do not need a diagnosis or a doctor’s referral to call, and the evaluation costs you nothing. Find your local program through Texas Health and Human Services, or call 1-877-787-8999 and choose option 3.
If it turns out this is not autism, that does not mean nothing is going on. Our early childhood work covers sleep, tantrums, toilet training, speech delays, and the parent-child relationship underneath all of it.
Not sure whether it is time?
That is the most common place parents get stuck. A free 15 minute call costs you nothing and gets you a straight answer about whether an evaluation makes sense for your child right now.
Or call us at (281) 210-6677.