A child autism assessment is a comprehensive process designed to understand your child’s social communication skills, behaviour patterns, and developmental profile.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the way a child processes social information, communicates, experiences sensory input, and engages with the world around them. It is not a disease or a disorder to be fixed. It is a different neurological profile, one that comes with genuine strengths alongside areas that may require additional understanding and support.
Child autism assessments are conducted by registered clinicians with specialized expertise in neurodevelopmental conditions, child development, and the complex ways autism presents across age, gender, and cognitive ability. We create a calm, welcoming, and sensory considerate environment where children feel safe and where their genuine profile can emerge. We understand that bringing your child for an assessment is a significant step, and we are committed to making the experience as clear, supportive, and meaningful as possible for your whole family.
Every child deserves to be understood for exactly who they are. Book a consultation with our team today to learn how a comprehensive child autism assessment can give your family the clarity, the direction, and the confidence to build a path forward that truly works for your child.
The process begins with meeting a clinician to discuss background, medical, developmental, and educational history, symptoms and their severity, major life events, and family make up to better understand your unique case.
To build a precise picture of how your brain is functioning, we use clinically validated attention and neurocognitive assessments. Children complete a Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fifth Edition (WISC-V), which measures a child’s intellectual ability and the 5 cognitive domains that impact performance for children (Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory and Processing Speed). This is particularly crucial in autism assessments for children, as a thorough assessment must discern if the child has any intellectual challenges. Children complete a Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Third Edition (WIAT-IV) to assess strengths and weaknesses related to areas of Reading, Written Language, Mathematics, and Oral Language. This allows us to rule out the possibility of a learning disorder, which may be comorbid with an autism diagnosis. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), is a gold-standard, play-based assessment used to help identify autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. It involves structured activities and social interactions designed to observe communication skills, social behaviours, play, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour. A child autism assessment may also include specialized questionnaires such as the (SRS™-2) Social Responsiveness Scale™, Second Edition and the ASRS, or Autism Spectrum Rating Scales. Neurocognitive Screenting Testing is where we test your verbal and visual memory, simple and complex attention, cognitive flexibility, processing speed, reaction time, working memory, reasoning, motor speed, psychomotor speed, executive functioning and compare you to age and gender norms to see if you fall in the above average, average, low average, low, or very low range for each category. We use the Conners Continuous Performance Test Third EditionTM (Conners CPT 3TM) and Conners Continuous Auditory Test of Attention® (Conners CATA®) to measure performance in areas of inattentiveness, impulsivity, sustained attention, and vigilance to rule out conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and other neurological conditions related to attention. This is particularly crucial as some children who meet the diagnostic criteria for autism may also meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. We follow this up with clinical questionnaires to review symptoms of ADHD, emerging concerns related to mood, Behaviour, Adaptivity, etc., to see if there are any underlying factors contributing to your child's symptoms.
Once all testing and questionnaires are completed, we discuss the results of tests and questionnaires, explain what they mean, talk about if a diagnosis is warranted, and then give you a chance to ask questions. The findings of the assessment are composed into a written report with detailed recommendations.
$4500-$5000 (price subject to change depending on the number of questionnaires or additional assessments requested). Please note this is an example child autism assessment plan, and your assessment plan can only be finalized after your first meeting with a clinical psychologist.
We work with children from 8 years old through adolescence, and our assessment tools and approach are carefully matched to the age and developmental stage of each child. If you have concerns about your child at any age, we encourage you to reach out for an initial consultation rather than waiting.
Yes. Academic success does not rule out autism. Testing may also help us understand if they are intellectually gifted.
Where the assessment findings support a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, this will be clearly documented in the written report along with the nature of the profile, the child’s specific strengths and challenges, and detailed recommendations for support. In cases where autism is not confirmed, the assessment will still provide a thorough picture of your child’s developmental and cognitive profile and offer meaningful recommendations for the challenges that prompted the referral.
We will provide you with guidance on how to prepare your child for the assessment ahead of time, taking into account their age and specific needs. In general, it is helpful to be honest with your child about what to expect in simple, calm terms, to ensure they are well rested and comfortable on the day, and to bring any comfort items that help your child feel at ease. Our clinicians are experienced in working with children who may be anxious, reluctant, or unfamiliar with clinical settings, and will take the time needed to help your child feel safe and settled before beginning.
