The evaluation process consists of an initial screening evaluation, completion of the gold standard for autism diagnosis (the ADOS-2), and a parent-pediatrician meeting. The screening tests take 10-15 minutes to complete and help us to better understand your child and their development so far. The ADOS-2 is scheduled for weekday mornings and takes about 60 minutes to complete. The parent discussion after the evaluation takes 30-60 minutes and is scheduled for within a week of the evaluation.

We are trained to evaluate children from ages 18 months through 18 years of age. Most children evaluated for autism are ages 2-8.

We use standardized assessment tools such as the MCHAT-R, Ages & Stages, and CAST for initial developmental screening tests which can be completed on your phone, tablet, and computer at your own pace. These take less than 30 minutes to complete.

The ADOS-2 to evaluate your child's social interaction, communication, and play skills and specifically diagnose autism, if present.

We recommend explaining to your child in age an age appropriate manner that they will be meeting with some nice people who want to get to know them and play some games together...and that there will be snacks (the last portion of the ADOS-2 includes sharing snacks!)

Most children don't even realize they are being evaluated! We use age appropriate toys, snacks, and play to make the experience fun & engaging. It will not be overwhelming or stressful. We give ample time to ensure your child is comfy & enjoying the process and have time to take short breaks as needed.

Absolutely! For your child to feel secure & comfortable, we ask for parents to be present and, at times, participate in the evaluation. You will be in the room for the entire evaluation.

In some cases, the diagnosis isn't entirely clear or is too subtle to make a definitive diagnosis at the first evaluation. In these cases, we typically recommend a repeat evaluation in 3-12 months depending on the child's age and developmental status. In the interim, we can suggest therapy services to help the child's development unfold while awaiting future evaluations. In some cases, the evaluation reveals that the child doesn't have autism nor the need for any additional testing, in which case we can help parents better understand their child and the context of any concerns they are seeing.

The cost for the entire screening, evaluation, and parent meeting with report is $900. Insurance often does not cover autism testing or requires long delays for prior authorization prior to scheduling. Costs for autism testing at practices that accept insurance can cost several thousand dollars out of pocket. We do not accept insurance for autism testing but you can pay with credit card, check, or HSA card. We can create a super-bill invoice for you to submit to your insurance company for possible repayment. Our flexibility in accepting payments allows us to create a 3 month payment plan for families that need to spread out the cost without delaying evaluation.

Dr Boucher conducts the evaluations at our office in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr B has been a pediatrician for over a decade and has seen thousands of patients & families over his career. This has allowed him to develop a very keen sense of typical communication skills and behaviors at each age. He has cared for hundreds of Autistic children over his career. He has been certified to administer the ADOS-2 evaluation by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Our office is located in southeast Lincoln. Our cozy& quiet pediatric practice environment allows for peace of mind & comfort for parent & child during the evaluation process.

Dr Boucher conducts the evaluations at our office in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr B has been a pediatrician for over a decade and has seen thousands of patients & families over his career. This has allowed him to develop a very keen sense of typical communication skills and behaviors at each age. He has cared for hundreds of Autistic children over his career. He has been certified to administer the ADOS-2 evaluation by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Our office is located in southeast Lincoln. Our cozy& quiet pediatric practice environment allows for peace of mind & comfort for parent & child during the evaluation process.

You can expect to receive the results of the evaluation during the parent-pediatrician meeting which is scheduled a time within one week of your child's evaluation.

If your child is diagnosed with autism, we will work with you to create a personalized plan to support your child's development and provide resources for your family. Our clinic focuses on autism education, acceptance, support, and works to ensure every Autistic child has the support to thrive.

Of course. We will create an action plan and help establish next steps including a report which can be given to your primary physician, daycare or school, and any other support you have in place. We can also recommend local resources to support your family and child along with therapists and other ancillary services to help your child & family thrive.

Early diagnosis of autism is important to ensure all available services are provided to help your child and family thrive. Many parents cannot get needed therapy and support covered until they have a diagnosis and so we do our best to allow parents to quickly get things moving to improve communication, growth, and development.

For children that are evaluated and not found to have autism, the evaluation allows us to provide reassurance and guidance in addressing any developmental delays noted.

We expect more questions and are here for you! Fill out the contact us form below or text us directly at 402-817-2116 and we can answer any questions you have.