Frequently asked questions

The assessment consists of four to five separate appointments: An initial interview with parents, conducted by phone or virtually. Two to three testing appointments with the child or adolescent (depending on the purpose of the assessment and the child’s age). Testing is conducted in person. A feedback session with parents to discuss the results and recommendations, conducted virtually.

Parents are expected to remain in the clinic to support their child during the assessment, particularly for younger children. For older children and adolescents, the need for parents to stay in the clinic may vary depending on the purpose of the assessment and the child’s individual needs. This can be further discussed during the parent interview. Please note that lunchtime supervision is not provided.

For scheduled appointments with a child, the child is ideally seen individually for the autism behavioral observation session. In some situations, one parent may be invited to participate, typically to support the needs of very young children, such as those around 2 years old who may need assistance with toileting or who are not yet able to remain in the room independently. A parent’s presence may also be needed if a child repeatedly leaves the examiner’s office and requires reminders to stay with the examiner. For cognitive (IQ) and academic testing, children are generally seen individually, with exceptions made for very young children. When a parent’s presence is required, typically only one parent remains in the session.

If your child's physician has instructed them to take medication, it is important that they continue to follow their regular medication routine during the assessment process unless otherwise advised by their physician.

As a crucial part of the assessment process, we request parents and teachers (in the case of a child attending school) to complete several questionnaires. These questionnaires help us gather additional information regarding the child/adolescent's functioning across various environments. Additionally, we ask for report cards and any previous assessment reports to gain a comprehensive understanding of the child/adolescent's history of concerns and overall functioning.

For autism assessments for younger children, it is possible to conduct the assessment even if they do not have any speech or if their native language is not English. The assessment involves play and other activities that do not necessarily require speech and language skills.

For cognitive functioning assessments, it is possible to complete them with someone who is non-verbal or not proficient in English, especially as part of an autism assessment or for eligibility support applications (e.g., CLBC) for developmental disorders.

If the child or youth is new to the country and the assessment is for learning purposes and educational planning (i.e., not as part of an autism assessment), it is recommended that the student be enrolled in school for at least 6 months to 1 year before proceeding with an assessment. Academic testing involves reading in English, writing in English, listening comprehension, math applied problems in English, and math calculations. Instructions are provided in English. We cannot translate the questions into another language, even with an interpreter, as it defeats the purpose of the testing.

We do not provide interpretation services for parent interviews or feedback sessions. If you're comfortable sharing personal and family details with a trusted friend, you may ask them to assist with interpretation. However, for accurate translation, we recommend hiring a professional interpreter. Please note that if you require interpretation during the parent interview or feedback session, we will need to extend the duration of those appointments, resulting in additional fees.