Frequently Asked Questions

Any child or adult can be referred to ASAC for expert evaluation. Clients seek our services for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

• Suspicion of the presence of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Academic underachievement
• Concerns expressed by pediatrician and/or school personnel
• Obsessive behaviors and/or interests
• Shyness or difficulty relating to peers
• Delayed developmental milestones
• Frequent and severe tantrums
• Fears and/or extreme anxiety
• Heightened sensitivity to certain stimuli, like loud noises, crowds or clothing tags
• Current diagnosis of ASD, and in need of detailed recommendations pertaining to therapy or schooling
• Re-evaluation for the purposes of second opinion and/or updated recommendations
• The need for an evaluation to be conducted in Spanish

Currently, we do not work directly with any insurance company. However, many insurance plans reimburse at least some portion of the cost of treatment/evaluation. Upon request, we provide  a detailed invoice that can be submitted to their insurance company for reimbursement. Payment to ASAC is the responsibility of the client and due at the time services are rendered.

ASAC does accept Gardiner Scholarship for payment

We do not offer a sliding scale fee. Payment for services is the responsibility of the client or guardian and is due at the time services are rendered. However, in some extenuating circumstances, payment plans/service costs may be negotiated with an ASAC Coordinator or Supervisor. 

ASAC offers testing at the University of Miami, Coral Gables Campus. Often, the initial intake interview takes place via zoom, but all testing is completed in-person. After an evaluation is complete, the family is invited back to the clinic for a feedback session (typically completed 2-4 weeks post-evaluation), whereby they are provided with a detailed report and individualized feedback describing the results of the evaluation and recommendations.

This is a common question, as both ASAC and the UM-NSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) are housed in the same location. CARD is a state-funded organization that provides no-cost community outreach, family support, and technical assistance to individuals who have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder or another related disorder. ASAC is a specialty clinic that provides unique psychological services that are not provided by CARD. Specifically, ASAC provides psychological evaluations and therapy for individuals with social-communicative difficulties (including autism). That said, ASAC and CARD have a close relationship, in that families who participate in ASAC services can be easily connected with CARD services, when appropriate.

Families seek private evaluations for a variety of reasons. For one, the results of the evaluation are confidential and are not shared with other entities (e.g., medical doctors, school) unless explicitly requested by the client or guardian. Another reason families seek private evaluations is because of the personalized and individualized care they receive. ASAC limits the number of clients we see each week in order to ensure that adequate time and attention is allocated to each client. In keeping with our commitment to high standards, the ASAC team never has a “cookie cutter” approach to evaluation and treatment. Rather, we make substantial effort to address each family issue and concern comprehensively, and we select assessment tools and therapy methods based on each individual’s unique strengths and needs.

Many of the individuals who are assessed at ASAC do have a diagnosis of ASD. However, it is not uncommon for families to seek a diagnostic evaluation due to a suspected ASD diagnosis, but find that the concerns they have are in fact not related to autism. In those cases, ASAC continues to work to provide a comprehensive explanation of each individual’s pattern of strengths and weaknesses, areas warranting intervention, school-based recommendations and differential diagnoses (if warranted).

The evaluation process at ASAC provides much more information than just a clinical diagnosis.  ASAC provides a comprehensive and descriptive report explaining tests results, interpretation and clinical impressions. Evaluations conclude with a set of recommendations in order to guide future academic and therapeutic planning. 

Our goal is to establish a warm and comfortable environment, such that all individuals are motivated to participate. We occasionally evaluate children and dependent adults who are resistant or who pose behavioral challenges. In those instances, we make special efforts to accommodate by providing frequent breaks, spacing testing sessions across additional days, utilizing reinforcement/reward strategies and soliciting support from caregivers. For independent adults, we only provide clinical services with their voluntary consent. 

We strongly recommend that families seek professional assistance as soon as concerns about their child’s development emerge. Research consistently indicates that children with developmental difficulties achieve maximal progress when interventions begin early. That said, it is sometimes difficult to establish a clinical diagnosis in very young infants and toddlers. Therefore, our initial goals when evaluating infants and toddlers are to identify any developmental issues that warrant intervention. We then provide ongoing monitoring until a clinical diagnosis can be established or ruled-out.

ASAC records are kept private and confidential to the extent provided by law. With regards to an evaluation, the client (or guardian) is provided a copy of an evaluation report. The report is not released to any other person or organization without the explicit and signed consent of the guardian. With regards to therapy, progress notes are kept private and confidential, and will not be released to any person or entity without written consent from the client or guardian. There are limitations to confidentiality, which will be explained to you by your therapist.