Autism (ASD) Assessment in Vancouver

AUTISM (ASD) ASSESSMENT

WHAT IS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be diagnosed as early as 18 to 24 months. Children with ASD face challenges in social skills, social communication, and may display repetitive or unusual interests and behaviors. Each child with ASD is unique, and their behavioral presentations and struggles can vary. Some may have speech delays, while others are more verbal. Verbal children sometimes may prefer to speak only with familiar adults and refuse to speak to others. Eye contact may be limited in some, while others maintain good eye contact. Overall, children with ASD may use their communication skills inconsistently, both verbal and non-verbal.

Many children with ASD may become absorbed in their own interests and not respond to others. These interests may change over time. Some individuals with ASD have an excellent memory and a vast vocabulary or can recite TV show scripts.

For teenagers and adults with ASD, they may experience stress in social situations, finding it challenging to engage in social conversations, understand others' intentions, or interpret emotional cues. Due to social anxiety and stress in dealing with relationships, some teenagers may avoid attending school. Additionally, some individuals may also struggle with anxiety and/or depression.

AUTISM FUNDING

In BC, a child under 6 years of age with an ASD diagnosis is eligible to receive $22,000 per year and a child between 6 and 18 years of age can receive $6,000 per year for intervention. Individuals at or over 19 years of age may be eligible for Community Living BC (CLBC) Personal Support Initiative (PSI) if they struggle to function independently and also meet the CLBC eligibility criteria.

HOW IS ASD ASSESSED?

Families with children under 19 years of age can pursue a public-funded ASD assessment for free (BCAAN), but a referral by a pediatrician is needed. If you are concerned about whether your child may have ASD, your first step is to talk to your family doctor and obtain a referral to see a pediatrician. We are a private clinic and we provide assessment for a fee (NON-BCAAN). Our assessment adheres to the BC ministry guidelines. Children under 6 years of age should have been seen or booked to be seen by a pediatrician and speech and language pathologist, prior to booking an assessment with us. We offer both speech and language assessments conducted by a registered speech and language pathologist, as well as diagnostic assessments conducted by a registered psychologist. Though not required as part of an assessment, we also recommend children at or over 6 years of age to be seen by a pediatrician.

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

At Cognostic, we provide ASD Assessments to individuals. These services provided by our psychologists are based on an hourly rate of $240.00. Fees for an assessment include direct and indirect services. Direct services are typically scheduled in-person or virtual appointments. Examples of indirect services include scoring tests, interpreting test results, and writing an assessment report. On occasion, a child or an adult may require additional hours of testing. The time required for an ASD assessment ranges between 12 hours to 15 hours.

Vancouver autism speech language assessment

Estimated assessment hours needed for a child:

Parent Interview (Done by phone: 2.5 to 3 hours)
Behavioral observation (1 to 2 hours)
Cognitive functioning testing (1.5 to 2 hours)
Academic functioning testing (3 hours recommended for children over 6 years of age)
Tests scoring and file review (1 to 1.5 hours)
Preparation of report (5 to 6 hours)
Feedback for parents (Feedback is done virtually or by phone: 1 hour)

Estimated assessment hours needed for an adult:

Client Interview (2 hours)
Parent Interview (with the consent of the client, 1 to 2 hours)
Cognitive functioning testing (3 hours)
Psychological functioning testing (2 to 3hours)
Academic functioning testing (when requested)
File review, scoring, and preparation of assessment report (6 hours)
Feedback (0.5 to 1 hour)

Speech and language assessment for under 6 years:

Speech and language assessment 1.5 to 2 hours)
School observation (1 to 2 hours + travelling time)
Home video reviewing (if needed)
Tests scoring and preparation of report (3.5 to 4 hours)
The parent interview is typically conducted alongside the in-person child assessment.

The total fee for a 1.5-hour session with a report is $800, calculated at an hourly rate of $160 for 5 hours. Additional fees will apply if the child requires extra assessment time.

ASSESSMENT OUTCOME

A feedback session and an assessment report will be provided at the end of the autism assessment. The client’s developmental history, areas of concern, test results, diagnosis (if any), and recommendations related to the given diagnosis are typically included in the report. If the individual does not meet diagnostic criteria for ASD, then the report will provide an explanation of why the individual does not meet criteria along with recommendations.

Feedback sessions for speech and language assessments are only provided upon request. Typically, families are given a report to facilitate their autism assessment, whether it's at our clinic or another.