Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual’s social communication, sensory perception of the world, and causes pervasive neurodevelopmental delays. It is possible that people are born with autism, we do not know. Usually, the symptoms are apparent by the time is two years old. In some cases, there is a period of normal development (usually birth to about 12-18 months of age) followed by a developmental regression, and a loss of the skills they had attained. In most cases, language fails to develop, or it only develops to a minimal degree in the first two years of life. In addition to language delays and/or atypical speech and language patterns, young children usually have deficits in nonverbal communication (eye contact, gestures, body language, facial expressions) and they have diminished social awareness and social motivation to communicate with others. Often, they are withdrawn, but not always. Autistic individuals also exhibit a restricted range of interests, and their behaviors become highly repetitive. Often, but not always, they exhibit repetitive hand, finger, and body movements known as stereotyped behaviors. Sometimes these stereotyped behaviors interfere with goal directed behavior, and often young children with autism have other, more global developmental delays. Deficits in self-help and other age-appropriate behaviors emerge. If a child is a few months behind, but is gradually developing these skills, Autism is not suspected. Only when these basic abilities (social communication, social awareness, and a restricted range of repetitive behaviors) fail to develop during these early developmental months and years is autism suspected. For a more full description of what autism is (and what it isn’t) see the following webpage: https://www.autismfl.org/awareness

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a screener that will ask a series of 20 questions about your child’s behavior. It's intended for toddlers between 16 and 30 months of age. The results will let you know if a further evaluation may be needed. You can use the results of the screener to discuss any concerns that you may have with your child’s healthcare provider. The results of the M-CHAT-R will provide you with a number score and a level of risk for your child (low, moderate, or high). A score of moderate or high gives strong confidence that moving forward with a diagnostic evaluation is necessary: https://www.autismspeaks.org/screen-your-child

Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form to request an evaluation. You will answer a series of questions to determine if we are the right fit for your child. If we are, you will automatically be added to our contact list with you and your child’s information, and we will reach out via email as soon as possible regarding your next steps. Based on your responses, we may need to contact you to gather some additional information, or we will refer you to other options. For more information about how to move through our process, please see our Services page.

The best way to reach us is by completing our Request an Evaluation form. This allows us to gather the information we need and respond as quickly as possible. We review all inquiries promptly and will follow up with next steps and availability. If you have additional questions that you don’t feel are answered through our website, you can email us and we will respond as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, we do not accept insurance at this time. We do currently accept HSA/FSA and may be eligible for certain scholarship award funds; we hope to expand in the future.

We are a private-pay service, which allows us to offer faster access to high-quality evaluations without the delays often associated with insurance.

Our pricing is fully transparent and listed on our Services page, so you know exactly what to expect. This comprehensive fee includes the evaluation, testing, report, and follow-up guidance. No hidden costs.

Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. Our client coordinator will answer your questions and make sure the process runs smoothly. Our clinical team will work with you and your child to make the evaluation process as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Our comprehensive evaluation is designed to give you a clear, accurate understanding of your child’s strengths and needs. It includes a detailed developmental history, direct assessment and observation, and input from caregivers to ensure we see the full picture. In addition to this, the evaluation will also include specific results from caregiver questionnaires and detailed assessments completed by us while we interact with your child directly. This may include standardized tools such as:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)

• Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2)

• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3)

• Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2)

• Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3)

In addition to these standardized tools, our BCBA will also include components of behavioral assessment, including:

• Functional Assessment Screening Tool

• Behavioral strengths and deficits

• Recommended goals and starting points for services

Currently, we will schedule 1-2 weekend diagnostic days per quarter and aim to evaluate as many clients as possible during those appointments. Once we have received all of your intake paperwork and initial deposit, you will be scheduled for the very next diagnostic day we have available (within one week to 3 months).

On the day of the appointment, your child will be scheduled for a 2-hour time block and will likely be waiting with other scheduled clients as well. This time allows you to fill out additional required questionnaires and for us to see your child in person.

After the appointment, you can expect your report and follow-up consultation to be scheduled within 2-4 weeks.

Yes! We take extra steps and precautions to include every insurance requirement in every report. That way, if your plan or policy changes, you don’t have to worry about your child qualifying for services again. Our reports are comprehensive, detailed, and include all major required assessments and questionnaires. If you have any barriers qualifying to start services with one of our reports, please reach out to us for support.

After your child’s evaluation is complete, you leave the work to us. We will complete the full comprehensive report and include behavioral assessment results, goal recommendations, and service recommendations for your next steps. In addition to the report, our BCBA will schedule a follow-up consultation to help you interpret the report, discuss your questions, and provide any guidance you need on your next steps. Those next steps may include continuing to receive consultation appointments to support your child at home while you wait to start services.

While we would like to support all families, our primary goal is to address the delay that especially young children experience in obtaining a diagnosis and starting care. Our focus is primarily children 4 and under. However, we may be able to evaluate children between the ages of 5-7, dependent upon their skill level. Typically, children at that age require additional testing outside of Autism only (e.g. IQ testing) that our evaluations do not include at this time. If we are not the right fit for your child, we recommend that you seek a diagnosis through Community Behavioral Services in Orange Park, FL. Dr. Mark Flynn will still be the one to provide your evaluation and will be able to conduct the necessary testing at that location.