Diagnostic Evaluation

Most families start with an intake visit at the Autism Center. The intake interviews help us understand:

• Problems your child is having at home and at school
• Services they are receiving
• Their medical and developmental history

Most older children then come back on another day to finish the assessment. Most younger children have all their appointments on a single day.

Providers from different specialties will check your child. Most children see at least 2 of these types of providers:

• Psychologist
• Speech and language pathologist
• Neurodevelopmental pediatric nurse practitioner or doctor

Using 2 or 3 providers with different expertise reduces the number of visits and gives families a diagnosis sooner. Our research shows that this team approach to diagnosis makes it more likely that patients and their families will take part in follow-up care.

Watch Dr. Jennifer Gerdts describe the benefits of interdisciplinary team evaluation. (Video 6:36)

The earlier your child is diagnosed, the sooner they can start services for their specific needs. Early treatment improves outcomes. Follow-up visits help us provide family support.

We will give you a full report with our findings and recommendations. The report helps shape your child’s path to progress. It can guide providers, school staff and others in your community.

• See what to expect at the Autism Center so you know how to prepare for your intake visit and what to bring.
• Fill out any forms the scheduling team sends you. Fax the forms to  206-985-3175 or email them to us at least 1 week before your child’s visit or bring them to your appointment. Include your child’s first and last name and date of birth in the fax or email..
• Ask your child’s teacher to fill out the teacher interview form (PDF) and fax it to 206-985-3175 or email it to us at least 1 week before your child’s visit. Ask the teacher to include your child’s first and last name and date of birth in the fax or email.
• Think back about your child’s growth and development since they were born. Try to remember milestones like when they started talking and how they played with other children. Write down things about your child that have concerned you over time as they have grown.
• Gather your child’s school records. If your child has an individualized education program (IEP), please bring both their IEP evaluation summary (it has the testing the school did) and their IEP plan. If your child has a 504 plan, please bring that as well. You can also fax them to 206-985-3175 or email them to us at least 1 week before your child’s visit. Include your child’s first and last name and date of birth in the fax or email.
• Gather any other evaluations or assessments your child has had and bring them with you.
• If you would like to learn about autism, these resources can help:
  • Autism: Reflections and Insights From Parents and Professionals (Spanish) (Video. 1:30)
  • Understanding an Autism Diagnosis (Spanish) (Video. 12:40)
  • What Is Autism? (Arabic) (Chinese) (Korean) (Spanish) (Somali) (Vietnamese) (Autism Speaks)
  • Signs of Autism (Autism Speaks)

• You and your child will see 2 or 3 different providers.
• Most often, the providers are a psychologist, neurodevelopmental pediatric nurse practitioner, speech and language pathologist, child psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
• In some of the visits, we gather information about your child by asking you questions and having you fill out a form. We ask about:
  • Your child’s and family’s challenges
  • Your child’s health history
  • Your child’s developmental and educational history
  • Any past treatments or services
  • Current therapy or services
• In other visits, we focus on your child. A provider will interact with your child while they play and do tasks. The provider will watch for signs of autism and will check:
  • How your child communicates using language, facial expressions, gestures and eye contact
  • How they interact with others, such as taking turns and having conversations
  • If your child shows rigid patterns, repeated behaviors or intense interests
  • If your child is very sensitive to touch, smell, sound or sights
• After meeting with you and your child, the providers talk with each other about your child in depth and review their records to decide if your child has autism.
• Almost always, we diagnose your child on the day of your visit. Rarely, we need more information, like school records or extra testing.

We will send you a full report that explains the reasons for our diagnosis and recommendations. If we diagnose your child with autism, these are the next steps:

• You can attend our class called Accessing Treatment, Learning and Support (ATLAS). This class will help you learn about and access a wide range of services here and in the community. After this class, your family will have access to all of our classes, including a class for those newly diagnosed with autism. Learn more about ATLAS (PDF).
• We will recommend therapy, treatment and support (such as classes, readings and websites) that fit your child’s needs.
• We may recommend that your child see providers at Seattle Children’s or somewhere else, like at school or in your local community.
• At follow-up visits, we check how your child and family are doing. If needed, we revise your child’s treatment plan. We answer your questions and help you get services at school and in your community. Follow-up visits happen once a year or more often if needed.