Autism Evaluations and Screenings

Contact Carla at 605-782-2400 to schedule a free autism screening - children three years and under - or get information on a full autism evaluation. (Full evaluations require a doctor's order, and are covered by insurance.)

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impacts the development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and learning. Listed under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders for the purposes of diagnosis, autism is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Prevalence
Autism currently affects an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007), making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and religious groups, and is four times more likely to affect boys than girls. Family income, lifestyle and education also have no affect on the occurrence.

Symptoms of Autism
Autism impairs a person’s functioning in three distinct areas: Behavior, Communication and Socialization. Behaviorally, autism is many times associated with obsessive- and compulsive-like repetitive behaviors, such as lining up items or spinning objects. Individuals with autism may adhere to strict routines and have problems with change or transition. More severe behaviors including aggression and self-injury may also be exhibited. In the area of communication, both verbal and non-verbal communication is affected with some children never developing vocal language. Sign language and picture communication systems are used to augment language development. Socially, children may treat people as objects, many times preferring to be alone rather than engage in social interaction with family and classmates. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe and typically appear during the first 3 years of life.

How do I know if my child has Autism?
Children's Care has a diverse team of trained professionals who have specialized training in administrating comprehensive evaluations to diagnose or rule out Autism. Our Autism Evaluation team is comprised of a pediatric psychiatrist, school psychologist, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, and an audiologist, who have many combined years of experience in assessing and developing treatment programs for children with autism spectrum disorders.

For more information on Autism, visit our Autism Care area or the Autism Society of America’s website.

"My favorite things about working at Children's Care are: my co-workers and our Rehab Center team, the fact that with the variety of disciplines represented at the rehabilitation center, I am continually learning something new that I can apply to my job and therapy skills, and the variety of clients I can see in one day."

– Shawn F., Physical Therapist