Why Our Autism Assessment is the Gold Standard
Written by Dr. Amy Rollo, PhD
Owner, Heights Family Counseling
Why Our Autism Assessment is the Gold Standard
At Heights Family Counseling, we believe that a comprehensive, high-quality autism assessment is essential for accurate diagnosis, personalized support, and long-term success. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is complex and can present differently in each individual. That’s why our gold-standard autism assessment goes far beyond a checklist—it is thorough, multidisciplinary, and tailored to the individual.
What Makes Our Autism Assessment Gold Standard?
Our evaluation is comprehensive and evidence-based, utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach to gather input from parents, teachers (when applicable), and additional informants. We ensure that we are not just identifying ASD but also ruling in and ruling out other possible diagnoses, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, and other co-occurring conditions.
Key Components of Our Autism Assessment
1️⃣ Comprehensive Cognitive & Academic Testing
Because autism affects multiple areas of functioning, we go beyond standard assessments and evaluate:
✅ IQ and Cognitive Potential – Helps us understand an individual’s problem-solving, reasoning, and intellectual strengths or challenges.
✅ Processing Abilities – Identifies how quickly and efficiently an individual processes information.
✅ Language Skills – Measures expressive, receptive, abstract, and social language abilities, all of which are critical in understanding ASD.
✅ Academic Functioning – Evaluates reading, writing, and math skills to assess for any learning disabilities that may co-occur with autism.
2️⃣ Gold-Standard Autism-Specific Measures
We use multiple diagnostic tools to provide the most accurate and well-rounded assessment possible:
✔️ MIGDAS-2 – A structured, interactive interview that provides qualitative insights into social interactions, language, and sensory behaviors.
✔️ Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) – Measures social awareness, social cognition, social motivation, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
✔️ Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) – Helps identify autism-related traits and severity levels.
✔️ Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) – Assesses behavioral and developmental aspects of autism.
✔️ Sensory Measures – Examines sensory sensitivities and integration challenges common in ASD.
✔️ Social Language Measures, such as the CASL-2 and Social Language Development Test- Examines social, pragmatic, and abstract language
✔️ Novotni Social Skills Checklist (Self-Report Version) – Evaluates social skills and interpersonal interactions.
✔️ Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) – A crucial tool for identifying masking behaviors, which is especially important for individuals who may have subtle or well-compensated autism traits.
✔️ Autism Symptoms Self-Report for Adolescents and Adults (ASSERT) – Provides a self-reflective perspective on autism-related experiences.
3️⃣ ADHD & Emotional/Psychological Testing
Since ADHD frequently co-occurs with autism, we include comprehensive ADHD testing to assess attention, executive functioning, and impulsivity. Additionally, we evaluate emotional well-being, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation challenges, which often intersect with ASD.
4️⃣ Sensory & Social-Emotional Functioning
Many individuals with autism experience sensory processing differences and challenges with social-emotional reciprocity. Our assessment includes:
✔️ Sensory processing evaluations to understand hypersensitivities or sensory-seeking behaviors.
✔️ Theory of Mind assessments to measure the ability to understand others' perspectives, intentions, and emotions.
✔️ Social language and abstract reasoning tests to evaluate conversation skills, understanding of non-literal language, and interpreting social cues.
A Multidisciplinary Approach: The Power of Team Collaboration
Our multidisciplinary team ensures that every evaluation is thorough and well-rounded, incorporating different areas of expertise to provide a clear and accurate diagnosis. We also collect data from multiple sources, including:
🔹 Parent Interviews & Questionnaires – Capturing developmental history and observed behaviors.
🔹 Teacher Reports (When Applicable) – Gathering insights on school-related behaviors, peer interactions, and academic engagement.
🔹 Informant Data – Ensuring a comprehensive perspective by considering feedback from caregivers, educators, and the individual themselves.
Why a Comprehensive Autism Assessment Matters
💡 Accurate Diagnosis – Many individuals with ASD have been previously misdiagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, or behavioral disorders. Our process ensures that we correctly differentiate between conditions and provide an accurate diagnosis.
💡 Personalized Support & Recommendations – Following our assessment, you receive a detailed, individualized report with specific recommendations for school, home, therapy, and interventions.
💡 School & Educational Guidance – Our report can help families advocate for educational accommodations, individualized support, or specialized school placement if needed.
The Next Step: Getting an Autism Evaluation at Heights Family Counseling
If you are seeking answers, clarity, and a path forward, our gold-standard autism assessment provides the most thorough and accurate understanding of your child’s unique needs. Whether you’re questioning ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities, or emotional concerns, our multidisciplinary team is here to guide and support you.
🔹 Contact Heights Family Counseling today to schedule an evaluation or to learn more about our assessment process. Early and accurate diagnosis is the key to unlocking the right support, interventions, and opportunities for success.