Answers shouldn’t take a year.
Families can wait months or longer for an autism evaluation. My goal is to provide careful, individualized evaluations without making families wait unnecessarily for answers.
Fast shouldn’t mean rushed, and thorough shouldn’t mean waiting a year.
Is an autism evaluation right for my child?
Families may consider an autism evaluation when a child:
-
has differences or delays in language or communication
-
doesn't consistently respond to their name
-
uses gestures, eye contact, or facial expressions differently
-
has difficulty with back-and-forth social interaction or play
-
repeats movements, sounds, words, or activities​
-
has strong interests or prefers particular routines
-
has sensory differences
-
has difficulty with changes or transitions
-
has had an autism screening such as the M-CHAT-R/F that raised concerns
-
has had concerns raised by a pediatrician, preschool, Early Intervention provider, speech therapist, occupational therapist, or another professional
If you're wondering whether autism could explain what you're seeing, an evaluation can help provide clarity and next steps.
What your evaluation includes
A thorough, whole-child evaluation tailored to your child.
I don't evaluate autism in isolation. I look at your child's development, communication, behavior, adaptive skills, medical history, and overall health to understand the big picture.
A Pediatric Autism & Developmental Evaluation includes:
review of medical, developmental, Early Intervention, preschool, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other relevant records
detailed caregiver and developmental interview
developmental and autism-specific questionnaires
Vineland-3 Comprehensive Interview to assess adaptive functioning
in-home observation of your child’s communication, interaction, play, and behavior
ADOS-2 when clinically appropriate
pediatric developmental, physical, and neurologic assessment when appropriate
review of existing language, developmental, or cognitive testing
assessment using DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria
consideration of other developmental or medical explanations for what you are seeing
written diagnostic report
feedback visit with individualized recommendations​
If important information is missing, I’ll explain what additional evaluation would be helpful before finalizing a diagnosis. The purpose of the evaluation is clarity, not a predetermined diagnosis.
Already working with another clinician or diagnostic team?​
​Jellybean Pediatrics also offers in-home ADOS-2 assessment only for children whose broader diagnostic evaluation is being completed elsewhere.
​
This includes ADOS-2 administration, scoring and clinical interpretation, and a written summary of the findings.
​​
An ADOS-2 assessment alone does not provide an independent autism diagnosis.
Why an autism evaluation with a pediatrician?
Autism affects development, but a comprehensive evaluation often means looking beyond a single diagnosis.​
​
As a board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Beene approaches autism evaluations as part of your child's overall health and development. That means considering not only social communication and behavior, but also language, sleep, feeding, attention, anxiety, hearing, growth, medical history, and other factors that may be contributing to what you're seeing.
​
The goal isn't simply to answer, “Is my child autistic?” It's to provide clarity about your child's development and what comes next.​​​
​
Your child's evaluation will combine Dr. Beene's experience as a pediatrician with specialized training in early autism assessment, including STAT-MD and ASD-PEDS training through Vanderbilt University Medical Center and ADOS-2 clinical training through Stanford University.
Lauren Beene, MD
Board-Certified Pediatrician
​
​​What if the answer isn't autism?
Not every child referred for an autism evaluation is autistic.
​
Language differences, ADHD, anxiety, developmental delays, hearing differences, intellectual disability, and other developmental or medical conditions can sometimes overlap with features associated with autism.
​
The goal of the evaluation isn't to produce a particular diagnosis. It's to provide clarity and identify appropriate next steps.​​
​
If your child doesn't meet criteria for an autism diagnosis, Dr. Beene will talk with you about what else may help explain what you're seeing and what additional evaluation, support, or care may be helpful.
Planning to use the evaluation for ABA, insurance, school, or another program?
Requirements vary. Some insurers and programs have specific requirements about who must make an autism diagnosis or what testing must be included. If you are seeking an evaluation for a particular benefit or program, please let me know before scheduling so we can determine whether my evaluation is likely to meet those requirements.
Could autism be part of what you're seeing?
In-home autism and developmental evaluations are opening soon for toddlers and preschool-aged children in Cleveland and surrounding communities.​
​
Join the interest list to be notified when appointments become available. There's no obligation to schedule, and joining the list doesn't commit you to an evaluation.