Saint Louis University's Interdisciplinary Center for Autism Services provides an in-depth diagnostic evaluation for school-age clients in kindergarten through 12th grade who may qualify for a medical diagnosis of autism.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, the center brings together the expertise of multiple SLU departments and programs including psychology, communication sciences and disorders, special education, social work, behavior analysis, occupational therapy and physical therapy to provide high-quality assessments for families in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
The services offered through the Interdisciplinary Center for Autism Services will reduce the waiting list for autism diagnosis services in the area and support families through the evaluation process.
Parent Support Meetings
Join us to collaborate with other parents and specialists on different topics each
month.
Who: Parents/guardians of children with neurodevelopmental disorder(s)
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, April 18, 2024
Topics:
- School Based Speech & Language Therapy versus Private Therapy
- Social Skills, Pragmatic Language Skills
- Nutrition Tips
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 959 2205 6599
Passcode: 139568
Future 2024 Meetings
All meetings held via Zoom
Topics: TBD
- 7 p.m., May 16, 2024
- 7 p.m. June 20, 2024
- 7 p.m., July 18, 2024
- 7 p.m., Aug. 15, 2024
- 7 p.m., Sept. 19, 2024
- 7 p.m., Oct 17, 2024
Appointments for Assessments
Assessments may include two to three appointments lasting a few hours each. Evaluations are tailored to the individual client. Assessments will typically be given for a child who does not currently have a medical diagnosis of autism. Our interdisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students will work with each family to coordinate the most accurate assessment plan.
Before the Assessment
To ensure the assessment runs smoothly, we recommend you do the following in our office before your appointment:
- Give permission for the release of school records
- Provide current vision and hearing screening within the past year
- Complete the medical/developmental history
- Submit a $50 retainer that will be applied to your account
Sample Assessment Schedule for a Medical Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Parent/Guardian = clinical interview
Child = sensory profile (occupational therapy) - Child = cognitive testing (psychology)
- Child = autism diagnostic observation schedule 2 (ADOS-2) (psychology, speech and language, special education)
- Child = education assessment (special education)
- Child = speech and language assessment (speech and language clinicians)
- Additional occupational therapy and physical therapy assessments when appropriate
- Additional rating scales or assessment when appropriate
Interdisciplinary team meeting to share the diagnostic evaluation results for approximately one hour. A final report will be mailed two to three weeks after your child’s assessment.
Assessment For Children With an Established Medical Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
For school-age children with a medical diagnosis of autism, we can provide recommendations for educational programming and an overall functioning assessment plan, which may vary from client to client. Our goal in this case is to provide parents, guardians and schools with recommendations about areas of functioning that require interventions.
After the Assessment
Following the assessment and evaluation meetings for each family, recommendations will be made that could include:
- Connecting to a team within the child's school.
- Consulting for individualized education plans.
- Suggesting therapies at SLU and outside agencies including the Speech-Language Hearing Clinic, STAR Applied Behavior Analysis Program, and the Pediatric Dental Clinic.
- Applied behavior analysis services are offered by SLU's Student Teaching and Research (STAR) program. Services may include functional behavior assessments and corresponding behavior intervention plans, consultation, cross-setting therapy modalities, parent and caregiver training.
- Providing information on social skills programs and parent education workshops.
School/District Referrals
As each district and school has different needs, we will be happy to discuss how we can support your faculty and the students and families you serve. While our psychologist follows the DSM-V guidelines, our reports are streamlined for consideration under IDEA, and our services can include attending a review of existing data meetings, eligibility meetings and behavioral observations.