Treatments and Services

• We assess children 15 months through 17 years old who have not previously been evaluated for autism. Learn more about getting a diagnostic evaluation.
• If your child receives an autism diagnosis from our center, you will be referred to our Autism First Steps Class (PDF) (Spanish) and a medical follow-up visit with 1 of our providers for further support.
• Due to the high demand for this service, we do not provide re-evaluations or 2nd opinions. Find resources that may provide a re-evaluation: Getting an Autism Diagnostic Evaluation for Your Child in Washington State (PDF) (Amharic) (Arabic) (Russian) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Ukrainian) (Vietnamese)  

• This 90-minute class is the first step to receiving care at Seattle Children’s Autism Center after receiving an autism diagnosis somewhere else. Read more about the class: Accessing Treatment Learning and Support (ATLAS) Class Flyer (PDF).
• After taking ATLAS, you can sign up for other classes and choose services that may benefit your child and your family.
• ATLAS is offered in English only. If you prefer care in another language, we will refer you to a visit with our clinical team to discuss your child’s care and connect you with resources.
• These slides contain all the class content: Accessing Treatment Learning and Support (ATLAS) Autism Class Slides (PDF).

• We offer a range of telehealth classes to help you understand your child’s needs and navigate resources for your family. Read more here:
  Classes at Seattle Children’s Autism Center (PDF)
• Visit the Autism Center Patient and Family Education page to find important links and resources.
• Contact our Family Resource team by sending a MyChart message to your Autism Center provider or email [email protected].

• A medical provider will review your child’s medical history and their current development, therapies and supports.
• Our providers can address your questions about sleep, toileting, feeding, school difficulties, social skills, communication or other areas of your child’s development.

• We evaluate psychiatric concerns (such as challenging behaviors, impulsivity and focus, anxiety, depression, and acute changes in function) in children and teens who have autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions.
• We assess whether medicines and other treatments could help your child. We will discuss potential benefits, limits and risks of each option.
• The Psychiatric and Medication Consultation Clinic requires a direct referral from your child’s primary care provider (PCP), developmental pediatrician or psychiatric provider.

• Our ABA Early Intervention Program serves children with autism up to age 6 covered by Apple Health (Medicaid). The program runs 4 days a week for 12 weeks, either morning or afternoon.
• The Biobehavioral Outpatient Program treats children ages 3 through 17 with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have complex behavioral needs like aggression, self-injury or other disruptive behaviors that may cause harm to self, others or the environment.
• Our Pediatric Feeding Program’s multidisciplinary team assesses and treats children ages 1 through 17 (with or without autism) who have complex feeding concerns that put their health at risk or seriously affect how they behave at mealtimes.

• The Biobehavioral Outpatient Program provides short-term applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children ages 3 through 17 with developmental disabilities and significant intellectual or communication impairment. The program addresses unsafe or disruptive behaviors such as aggression, self-injury, pica (eating things that aren’t food), or property destruction.
• Our RUBI Parent and Caregiver Training Program (PDF) (Spanish) is for parents and caregivers of children ages 3 through 12 with autism and mild-to-moderate behavior problems. Our clinical team teaches you ways to reduce your child’s problem behaviors and improve daily living skills, such as self-care and helping around the house, in weekly 1-hour sessions for up to 13 weeks.
• Learn more about our therapies for challenging behaviors.

• If your child experiences anxiety along with their autism, a developmental care consultation (see above) can help guide you to information and therapies that can help at Seattle Children’s or in the community.
• Facing Your Fears (PDF) is a group-based program addressing anxiety for children and teens ages 8 through 14 who have autism spectrum disorder. Sessions for the child, and for their parents or caregivers, are held in person 1 day a week at Seattle Children's Magnuson Clinic.  

• We support teens and young adults with autism and their families as they get ready for the next stage of life, based on the goals and needs of each person and their family.
• Our Next Steps: Transitioning to Adulthood for Youth with Autism (PDF) class is for parents and caregivers who have an autistic teen or young adult ages 15 through 20, with 2 different tracks depending on your young person’s level of support need.
• Your Autism Center provider can refer you to the Next Steps class and a developmental care consultation focused on adult transition. They can also connect you to programs for adults with autism, such as the UW Medicine Adult Autism Clinic.
• The Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center offers year-round classes and activities for adults 18 or older with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Our goal is to help parents and caregivers understand and navigate resources for autistic children and their families. Contact us by sending a MyChart message with your resource questions to your Autism Center provider, or email [email protected]. Sign up or log in for MyChart.  

We teach telehealth classes live in a group setting. Ask your Autism Center provider for a referral, or get a referral from your child’s primary care provider to the Autism Center to get started by taking the Accessing Treatment Learning and Support (ATLAS) Class (PDF).

Autism health education classes

• ADHD/ADD and Autism
• Constipation and Autism
• Sleep Problems and Autism
• Early Communication and Autism
• Feeding Foundations: Caregiver Education Class with the Pediatric Feeding Program

Resource navigation classes

• Applying for DDA (Developmental Disabilities Administration)
• Finding ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)
• Navigating School Supports
• Washington State Autism Resources
• Next Steps: Transitioning to Adulthood for Youth With Autism

• Introduction to Autism Video Series: Series of short, animated videos with science-based information about autism. Topics include autism as a medical diagnosis, the autism spectrum, how to access common services, and more.
• Conversations About Autism: Video series where experts and advocates from our region share their knowledge, perspectives, and helpful tips for supporting young people with autism.
• El autismo y mi familia: una serie de videos en español: Video series in Spanish featuring local families and providers sharing information and experiences on many topics related to autism.
• Finding Mental Health Care in Washington State: A Class on Where to Start (Spanish): An on-demand, self-paced class for parents and caregivers of children ages 5 to 18 with mental health care needs.
• Legal Transitions to Adulthood (Spanish, Vietnamese): Free, on-demand virtual class for parents and caregivers of youth in their late teens who will need ongoing support as adults or help with decision making, disability-related benefits and other services.

This multidisciplinary program assesses and treats children ages 1 through 17, with or without autism, who need team-based care for complex feeding concerns. This includes children who struggle with eating and drinking in ways that put their health at risk or seriously affect how they behave at mealtimes. Learn more about our Pediatric Feeding Program.

• SNACS serves children who struggle with learning, behavior or development because of exposure to alcohol or other substances before they were born (prenatal exposures).
• The SNACS clinic offers short-term direct consultation as well as parenting groups.
• The team evaluates your child for problems with attention, learning, social skills and other areas of development, helps create a care plan, and provides guidance on finding services in the community.
• Learn more about SNACS (PDF) (Spanish).  

• Adolescents and teens with autism identify as gender diverse more often than other adolescents and teens. Our multidisciplinary team cares for youth with autism who are transgender, gender nonconforming, or question their gender identity, and for their families.
• We work closely with the experts at Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic to coordinate care.