Programs & Services

Evaluating a child for autism spectrum disorder is a complex process. Highly trained, experienced professionals will gather information from you, your child and their medical and educational records to help determine whether your child has autism and what support they may need.

Depending on your child’s age and circumstances, we also offer telehealth evaluation. Telehealth visits are an excellent way for us to begin your child’s care. During these visits, we will speak with you about your concerns and gather other important information about your child and your family. We will observe your child in a comfortable setting, provide a plan of care with recommendations and next steps and schedule a follow-up appointment.

Depending on your child’s specific needs, age and background, you may have one appointment or multiple appointments, each lasting between 90 minutes and 4 hours. The length of your child’s first appointment will be estimated before scheduling the evaluation at Phoenix Children’s.

Depending on your child’s age and needs, your family will work with one or more of our specialty providers at Phoenix Children’s. Our specialists include clinical psychologists, developmental pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners. You will know what kind of provider your family will be supported by at the time the appointment is scheduled.

• A legal guardian must come with your child to the autism evaluation or be present for a telehealth appointment. We will be asking you several questions about your child’s life, including developmental milestones. Please gather as much information as you can from your child’s other caregivers (e.g., the other parent, daycare, teachers, grandparents) so that you will be able to answer questions more easily.
• Please arrange childcare for other children in your household. Depending on your child’s age, siblings may not be allowed in evaluations as they can be distracting. Some visits last up to 4 hours, and we do not offer childcare.
• Please bring with you any equipment your child uses for daily living (e.g., communication devices, hearing devices, glasses, wheelchair).
• Please feed your child breakfast and/or lunch prior to the evaluation.
• Bring snacks and drinks for your child, especially if they have a special diet.
• Bring one or two of your child’s favorite toys, as there may be breaks during the appointment. However, try to avoid bringing things that your child has difficulty transitioning away from, as we will have other activities for them to do.
• If your child takes medications for any reason, please give medications as prescribed.
• Talk to your child about what to expect during their appointment (e.g., playing games and doing activities with our providers).

Phoenix Children’s autism diagnostic evaluation process has several steps:

• Review of available medical and school records: The provider will review the background information you provide from school, daycare, or other healthcare providers. We ask that you provide this information in advance to help us prepare for your child’s appointment and allow us to have a more complete understanding of your child’s development.
• Parent/caregiver clinical interview: During the evaluation, you will be asked a lot of questions about your child’s past and current development, social relationships and behaviors. The provider will ask you about your child’s developmental milestones, medical history and family history, as well as your child’s communication, play and social skills and emotional and behavioral functioning. You will also be asked about your child’s favorite activities and things they do well.
• Observation/interaction with your child: An autism evaluation may look quite different from other medical appointments. An important part of the evaluation is for the provider to spend time playing with and talking to your child. We may also engage in games and activities to understand how your child thinks and behaves. This helps us understand your child’s strengths and areas for growth. We will work with you and your child to make the evaluation as positive an experience as possible.

It may take more than one appointment to gather information necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. You will leave each appointment with as much information as possible. At the end of the evaluation, the provider will discuss the results and next steps with you and your child. We encourage you to read through the report with your child’s primary care provider.

Please know that your child may or may not be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Because we evaluate for other conditions as well, your child may be diagnosed with something other than autism or in addition to autism. If we do not think your child is on the autism spectrum, we will talk with you about what else may explain your child’s strengths and difficulties. We will also offer you recommendations for the best next steps.

Our Newborn Early Screening Team (NEST) Clinic offers developmental monitoring (including autism-related monitoring) for infants under 12 months of age.

If your child’s primary care provider has requested further medical care for autism, our team of developmental providers will complete a comprehensive evaluation to make recommendations specific to your child’s needs. Children with autism often have other co-occurring medical conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, sleep concerns, eating issues and/or genetic conditions. Our team of experts are specialized in the care of children with autism and will evaluate your child for any co-occurring conditions.

Our initial autism management evaluations are completed either in person or via telehealth. The appointment can take up to 90 minutes. You will be sent forms to complete electronically prior to the visit. We also ask that you send in any pertinent evaluations such as those completed by the school or other professionals. We ask you to provide this information in advance as it will help us understand your child’s medical and developmental history.