How Much Cost For Autism Diagnosis If Do Private

Nivyad · May 21, 2017

Hi Everyone,

How much cost to diagnose autism if we goes to private..

My son is 4.5 years old, he talked late at 3. Now he talks both English and Tamil. He is having social and behavioral issues, I had doubts on him and contacted school districts for assessment.. since he doesn't have educational disability, they didn't evaluate at that time and he is having only social issues..he is getting service from school district for social in his school weekly once..

His teacher has doubts on him, he might have lower end of autism..since school district not evaluating him she recommended to go for private for diagnosis.

We have discussed with his doctor and she told about developmental pediatrician appointment and the wait time would around 6 to 9 months. In that time he can have occupational therapy. I'm very very confused..

About my son, he is a very smart boy, he reads simple words, count up to 1000, he eats himself, dresses himself, he asks his needs...he talks Tamil with elders,talking English with his peers. Infact he passed his kindergarten screening..

My worries, he doesn't play with kids..he got few friends here but nowadays he is pushing them,snatching toys, not sharing...we went to playground, he pushed one girl(she is one of his friend), she was playing in a group if kids..he was trying to go behind the kids, nobody wants to play with him..I can't control my tears while seeing this...we left the playground...

I'm not sure what to do next,can we go for private accessment for diagonisis..was it useful?
Please guide me..

Sunshine04 · Sep 8, 2017

Yes. You can do assessment and ur insurance will pay for it.check with the

sheztheone · Sep 10, 2017

Hi based on what you have written, since your kid does not have academic disabilities and seems to be able to do basic tasks by himself, he would probably be at the mild end of the ASD spectrum, IF AT ALL he has ASD.

I would suggest a change in the environment. Allow him to play with some other kids and find out how he behaves. Sometimes even temporary behavioural phases cause a chain reaction among kids where a particular kid is labeled "badly behaved" and all kids refuse to play with him/her. Your son is only 4.5 and it might be a phase for all you know.
Or he is probably stressed/frustrated with some aspect of his current environment.

Anyway, I am not sure where you live but you can google ASD tests on the net and find out. But make sure you do it at a reputed center.

Sandycandy · Sep 10, 2017

Nivya, it's always best to get a second evaluation specially for someone that might be on the lower end of the spectrum. Its pretty normal to have a couple of months waiting time at dev pediatricians or other centers . So find one and take an appointment right away. The cost could be around $2000 or more depending on where you live .
You can also check universities close by if they offer testing .Check autism speaks for suggestions.

Once you have a private diagnosis you can also convince the school to test him again and they might be more open to the idea then . Along with social skills help , you can ask for speech therapy. It's not to help him talk but use sentences in the right context.
Occupational therapy will help him if he has issues with fine motor skills ( handwriting, hand eye coordination etc).
Earlier the intervention, better the results.
It is highly important that you schedule play dates at home and in the park. Enroll him for any sports activities that involve interaction with his peers. Positive reinforcement is the key, so make sure he gets rewards for doing the right things in a social setting.

I understand it is painful when you see your child struggling at the playground or otherwise . Don't stop this from your efforts at taking him to the park or elsewhere. Develop a thick skin and the journey will be a tad bit less stressful.

Now is a good time to talk to your spouse about finances and setting aside some money for your son's therapies . If you can afford it, get help in addition to the school services for social skills . But you are your child's biggest advocate, so if a therapy does not work for him stop right away. Your time and money is involved , so you have to make sure it is worth it.

Join ASD support groups, you might also find other kids here that you can schedule play dates with.

You and the spouse will be emotionally and physically stressed. So take some time out for yourselves too, maybe have a hobby or something to relieve the stress.

Kids with ASD might be more prone to bullying ( and might end up seeming like bullies) because of the social issues. So it's important to address this concept with him . They can also have self esteem issues, so make sure you work on that. Again positive reinforcement is the key.
Kids with ASD can be very loving and sensitive , so create a positive environment at home and shower him with lots of love and attention . But don't give in to tantrums and don't hesitate to set rules for him ( timeouts , clean up his toys, put his dishes in the sink etc).

I wish you the very best and send lots of positive energy ! Take care