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Getting an Accurate Autism Diagnosis in Orlando
Getting an Accurate Autism Diagnosis in Orlando
If you suspect your child, loved one, or even yourself may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), getting an accurate diagnosis is essential. Understanding autism and how it may affect you or your child can help you proactively get the support you need to set you up for a lifetime of success and fulfillment.
It’s also important to understand that autism is not something that must be “fixed.” You or your loved one is not “broken.” You’re simply wired a little differently. Fully understanding your level of autism and how to effectively live with it through accurate testing and diagnosis means you’re just getting to know yourself or your loved one a little better.
And that’s a positive!
Knowing where to go to get an accurate autism evaluation in Orlando can be a bit overwhelming. You may find yourself asking questions like, ‘
“Where do I start?”
“What kind of tests should my child or myself get?”
“How long do I have to wait to get an appointment for an evaluation and testing?”
“How do I know if I can trust the results?”
“Once I get the results, then what?”
Those questions are entirely understandable. To help you out, we’ve put together this brief guide to help you better understand how we can help get you an accurate autism diagnosis in Orlando at Yount Psychological Services.
Don’t Wait to Schedule Autism Testing in Orlando. Early Intervention is Key.
There is significant evidence pointing to the importance of early intervention with autism. Early diagnosis improves long-term outcomes and the overall quality of life.
With that said, one of the barriers to receiving early intervention is long wait times for autism diagnostic testing. Based on a recent 2022 survey of 111 autism evaluation centers, you could wait as long as one year before getting into a specialist to receive testing. Many of our clients often tell us they have to wait eight to twelve months here in the Central Florida area.
At Yount Psychological Services, we do our best to get you or your child in for a comprehensive autism evaluation as soon as possible.
Your first step to getting an appointment is to
contact us directly or seek a referral from your doctor or pediatrician
Determining if Your Child Needs an Autism Evaluation in Orlando
Keeping tabs on your child’s development milestones from infancy to toddlerhood is essential. Recognizing the early signs of autism is critical to ensuring they receive intervention as soon as possible.
Here are some of the early developmental signs of autism:
If you go through your child’s pediatrician, they will likely use screening tools like the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R). This screening tool consists of 20 questions about your child’s behavior and is intended for toddlers between 16 and 30 months old. If their findings indicate your child could benefit from autism testing in Orlando, they can refer you to our services.
What Sets Our Autism Evaluations in Orlando Apart
We understand the value of ensuring you or your child receives the autism assessments and testing services they need. That’s why we don’t just dive right into testing. We do our best to get the whole picture of your situation to determine what is happening. It could be autism, but it could also be autism exacerbated by something else. And believe it or not, sometimes your child’s issues aren’t even autism! This is something we will help determine during the initial clinical evaluation.
Our autism evaluation process consists of three appointments:
- Clinical Evaluation
- Testing
- Debriefing of results
Appointment #1 - Clinical Interview
Before we begin autism evaluations, your first appointment is with Dr. Melissa Yount, a Licensed Psychologist in Orlando. Dr. Yount will explore your child’s background and discuss your concerns with you to see if other things are going on. She will determine if perhaps there are caregiver concerns like signs of anxiety, ADHD, a learning disability, inattention, hyperactivity, and more. This clinical interview will determine what tests are needed.
It is important to note that there are comorbidities between Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual impairment, anxiety, depression, and other emotional functioning elements. Differentiating between symptoms requires the skillsets of a well-trained mental health professional like Dr. Yount.
Appointment #2: Testing
Your second appointment with us will be for testing. At Yount Psychological Services, we typically administer more than one assessment for autism, any additional assessments needed, and an adaptive assessment.
Depending on the testing required to address your concerns, this appointment could end up being two or more hours. The doctor will consult with you during your initial intake appointment as to the necessary testing that should be conducted for your or your child’s specific concerns.
Appointment #3: Debriefing of Results
The third and final appointment for autism evaluations with us is when we talk about what we found in our testing. You will meet with Dr. Melissa Yount, sometimes accompanied by other staff, to comprehensively review her entire report and break down any findings. We will happily answer any of your questions, help you understand the diagnosis, or perhaps even explain why the result is a non-specified diagnosis.
If the diagnosis includes autism, we may also discuss the option of enrolling in our
ABA therapy services
with our resident Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, Caleb Yount, to help your child learn, grow, and thrive.
A Deeper Explanation of Some of Our Autism Tests
There are several different autism tests used to help determine if a child or adult has autism and to what degree. At Yount Psychological Services, we use only the most reliable, evidence-based tests to ensure your child receives an accurate autism diagnosis in Orlando.
It’s important to understand that our psychometric tests are backed by research. These tests are incredibly accurate, so you can trust their results.
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - 2nd Edition (ADOS-2)
The ADOS-2 is considered the “gold standard” in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that focuses on observing behaviors directly relevant to ASD at different developmental levels and chronological ages. This activity-based assessment allows us to evaluate communication skills, social interaction, and imaginative play.
The ADOS-2 evaluation typically takes between 45 and 60 minutes and is completed in a room while simultaneously being recorded for future review. Your child’s ADOS-2 assessment will resemble one of four different modules:
- Toddler Module: 12 to 30 months; preverbal or single words
- Module 1: for children older than 30 months with little to few words
- Module 2: typically for younger children with phrase speech
- Module 3: typically for children with fluent speech
- Module 4: for adolescents and adults with fluent speech
- Childhood Autism Rating Scale - 2nd Edition (CARS-2)
The CARS-2 assessment is based on direct observation and can effectively discriminate between severe cognitive deficits and autism. This second edition is more responsive than the original and can address individuals who are both standard (ST) and high-functioning (HF).
During this assessment, your child will be observed and scored in the following areas during a CARS-2 test:
- relating to people
- imitation (ST)
- socioemotional understanding (HF)
- emotional response (ST)
- emotional expression and regulation of emotion (HF)
- body use
- object use (ST)
- object use in play (HF)
- adaptation to change (ST)
- adaptation to change/restricted interests (HF)
- visual response
- listening response
- fear or nervousness (ST)
- fear or anxiety (HF)
- verbal communication
- nonverbal communication
- activity level (ST)
- thinking/cognitive integration skills (HF)
- level and consistency of intellectual response
- general impressions
- Adaptive Assessments
It’s essential to assess and measure your child’s adaptive behavior if they are suspected to have ASD or another disorder. This assessment allows us to determine your child’s functioning level when completing daily tasks, engaging in leisure activities, etc.
There are various assessments for adaptive skills, such as the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System - 3rd Edition (ABAS-3) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales - 3rd Edition (Vineland-3). These norm-referenced assessments look at your child’s functioning level across the lifespan in many areas. Areas tested may include leisure activities, communication, community use, and school and home living.
- Intelligence Assessments
When a client's functioning level allows, we should assess intelligence to help determine if a diagnosis of ASD or another disorder is accompanied by intellectual impairment.
Several different intelligence assessments are used to evaluate children and adolescents with autism. One of the most reliable for children is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - 5th Edition (WISC-V). It is typically used to assess the general thinking and reasoning skills of children ages six to 16.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is the most reliable intelligence assessment for adults. This test consists of several subtests addressing cognitive abilities like verbal comprehension, working memory, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed.
Partner With Yount Psychological Services for Autism Services in Orlando
Our team here at Yount Psychological Services has over fifteen years of experience in autism testing and working with children and adults with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. If you are looking for reliable, caring autism services in Orlando, including autism testing and ABA therapy, you can count on us.
Contact us for more information about how we can help you and your child through autism services, testing, evaluations, and counseling.
