Evaluations

We evaluate children as young as 12 months, with a focus on the development of reciprocal interactions, developing communication, play skills and other behaviors. Early intervention services are important for addressing developmental delays. An ASD evaluation is important for accessing community services and establishing initial treatment goals. The assessment results also allow for future comparisons to measure growth.

Disorder undetected or missed until they are older. Other diagnoses, such as ADHD or language delays may make accurate diagnosis of ASD more difficult to determine. As a result, social-communication differences associated with ASD may not be as noticeable until the early teenage years. Insights, Colorado Assessment and Therapy also conducts re-evaluations of older children and teenagers with prior diagnoses of ASD in order to determine progress and identify needs as they transition into adolescence or young adulthood. Insights, Colorado Assessment and Therapy clinicians conduct thorough clinical interviews as well as administer psychological testing to obtain clarification of the teenager’s diagnosis and develop appropriate treatment recommendations.

An adult’s life can be greatly impacted by symptoms of ASD, whether they are subtle or more overt. Adults with ASD have often spent their life struggling to effectively communicate with others, connect in relationships, and successfully put their skills to use in the workplace. Insights, Colorado Assessment and Therapy clinicians seek to support the adult through the assessment process in order to determine if they meet criteria for ASD based on the results of clinical interviews and psychological testing. For adults with a prior diagnosis of ASD, re-evaluation can help to determine current levels of need and assist with treatment planning.

Girls and women on the Autism Spectrum often present differently than males on the Spectrum. Current research has found that females with ASD are often misdiagnosed due to their different presentation paired with historically male-biased research. Dr. Dumke and Dr. Cason both have extensive experience evaluating girls and women with ASD, as well as working with them in psychotherapy. Insights, Colorado Assessment and Therapy clinicians are able to use their clinical experience to assess women for ASD characteristics which may be masked through various coping skills or societal norms. We have a reputation in our community for understanding the nuances and uniqueness of women on the spectrum.

Individuals seeking evaluation may not fit neatly in society’s traditional expectations regarding their gender or sexuality. Insights, Colorado Assessment and Therapy is welcoming of all individuals seeking diagnostic evaluations.

• Difficulty with Social Communication
  • Reduced social-emotional reciprocity such as limited conversation skills or difficulty expressing empathy
  • Difficulty using or reading nonverbal communication such as limited use of eye contact, gestures, or facial expressions
  • Difficulty playing with peers or developing friendships appropriate to their developmental level.This can look like a total disinterest in peers or lack of skills to make friends

• Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities
  • Repetitive speech (repeating things over and over) or motor mannerisms (such as hand flapping)
  • Excessive adherence to routine/resistance to change
  • Special interests (becoming obsessed or fixated on one or more activities/topics/areas of interests
  • Highly sensitive (defensive or seeking) to certain sensory input such as sound, light, or touch

The evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, at its core, uses the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scales, Second Edition and the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised, considered the gold standard for ASD evaluations. Additionally, the clinicians obtain relevant history and other important clinical information. Because mood disorders, executive dysfunction and sensory processing are often impacted in individuals with ASD, our clinicians obtain information about those possible symptoms as well. Following the evaluation, a feedback appointment will be scheduled, at which time the results and recommendations will be discussed and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. A thorough report will be provided to you soon after the feedback meeting.

We are sometimes asked if coming in for an ASD evaluation means that the diagnosis will definitely be given. We are bound by our ethical code to provide as accurate a diagnosis as we are clinically able to determine. By the time individuals have found us, they have ruled out many other diagnoses and have been referred by providers who reasonably believe the individual has ASD. However, many diagnoses have similar symptoms and another diagnosis (or even no diagnosis) may be a more accurate finding.