Table of Content

What you need to have

ADIR + ADOS Assessment	Performed by either a psychologist or a developmental pediatrician
Cognitive Assessment	Psychologist
Pediatric Medical Assessment	Pediatrician
Speech Language Assessment	Speech and Language Pathologist

<aside> ⚠️ Not all psychologists or pediatricians are trained in ADIR+ADOS. Very few pediatricians perform ADIR+ADOS.

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<aside> 💡 If you have chosen a psychologist to perform the ADIR+ADOS, they will perform the cognitive assessment at the same time. If you have chosen a pediatrician to perform the ADIR+ADOS, they will perform the pediatric medical assessment at the same time.

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Step 1: Waitlist with the assessor for Autism Assessment (ADIR + ADOS)

Assessor acuity matter
[ ] Contact the different offices to ask about the waitlist and fee for the specific assessors
[ ] Ask if the assessment fee includes a parent session to discuss the result after the assessment is complete (before or after the report is complete).

<aside> ⚠️ Autism Assessors vary drastically in competence with the diverse autistic profiles. The community has curated a recommendation list that is not accessible publicly. Contact Cherish Clinic for consultation and targeted referral for non-sterotypical presentations.

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Step 2 route for ADIR+ADOS by a Psychologist

Step 2 route for ADIR+ADOS by a Developmental Pediatrician

Step 3: Speech Language Assessment

List of vetted speech-language pathologists (coming soon)
[ ] Schedule an appointment with a speech-language pathologist. Make sure they know this is for “the speech assessment for the under-6 autism assessment”.

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If you are not using a vetted ADIR+ADOS assessor, a quality speech-language assessment is crucial in terms of advocacy and reducing the chance of a false negative outcome. If you are using one of the vetter assessors, you can prioritize short wait time and cost savings.

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What can I do to prepare for the assessments?

<aside> 💡 If you were referred to this guide from Cherish Clinic as a part of your screening, Christine would have likely provided instructions on which behaviours to document or record while waiting.

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