What to expect from your initial psychological evaluation at the Autism Center of Pittsburgh

When you make an appointment for an evaluation at the Autism Center of Pittsburgh, your Psychologist or Psychiatrist will meet with you for approximately one hour. Your clinician will mostly rely on parent input, standardized tests and forms, and observation of your child. We do not conduct a medical evaluation for genetic disorders, etc., but we conduct a one hour psychological evaluation to determine if your child has autism, ADHD, OCD or any other developmental delay or disability.

Our clinicians have many years of experience in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, OCD and many other developmental disabilities. They will rely on parent input, obseration of your child and the standardized tests that you will be asked to complete. The Center does not conduct genetic or medical testing.

The majority of hospital-based diagnostic facilities in Western Pennsylvania have anywhere from a 3-6 month waiting list. As parents ourselves, we know what an agonizing time this can be for families. You want answers -- fast. You want to start treatment -- quickly. That's why the Autism Center of Pittsburgh is here. We can get you in for an evaluation quickly so that you can get therapeutic interventions started for your child. Early intervention is the key to success!

Once your evaluation is complete, your clinician will give you a verbal diagnosis. It will take approximately 2 weeks to receive the written evaluation report in the mail. Please be patient. Once you receive your evaluation report, you can apply for Medical Assistance and begin wraparound.