Autism Diagnosis in North Carolina
HANDS Center for Autism offers comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluations to help families gain a better understanding of their child’s overall development. Conducted by our doctorate-level Licensed Psychologist (PsyD), each evaluation is personalized to assess your child's strengths and needs in areas such as:
- Communication
- Developmental
- Social
- Behavioral
Our psychologist uses gold-standard assessment tools to deliver accurate, thorough, and individualized diagnoses and recommendations.
When to Get Evaluated
If you have concerns about your child's development, an autism diagnostic evaluation may be the next step. After consulting with your pediatrician, an evaluation may be recommended if your child is showing characteristics such as:
- Social interaction and communication challenges
- Sensory sensitivities
- Restricted or repetitive behaviors (stimming)
- Difficulty understanding others perspectives
- Intense focused interests
Autism is a spectrum and presents differently in every child. If you believe your child may benefit from an evaluation, contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive process.
Our assessment process takes a comprehensive, whole-child approach to better understand your child’s unique strengths and needs. The HANDS process begins with an initial intake, where our Licensed Psychologist will review your child’s developmental and social history, current strengths, and areas of concern. This information is used to create an individualized testing plan for your child’s one-on-one assessment. Depending on your child’s needs, the evaluation may include:
- Cognitive and/or intelligence testing
- Adaptive functioning measures
- Expressive and receptive language measures
- Fine motor measures
- Social communication and interaction through the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule)
Following the evaluation, you will meet with our Licensed Psychologist for a feedback session to review the testing results, discuss their meaning, and receive tailored recommendations and resources for your child and family. Our psychologist utilizes a neurodiversity-affirming lens that recognizes your child’s strengths while identifying areas where additional support may be beneficial.
