Understanding Autism Starts with a Clear, Caring Assessment
Getting an autism assessment can involve long waits and a lot of uncertainty. At Capital Psychological, we try to make the process clear and manageable from the first phone call. We offer autism assessments for children age four and older, adolescents, and adults. Testing is administered by clinical professionals using standardized measures, which may include the ADOS-2, a structured developmental history interview, cognitive testing, and measures of adaptive functioning. Together, these give a full picture of the person’s strengths, challenges, and support needs.
Our Assessments Can Help:
Confirm whether Autism Spectrum Disorder is present
Understand a person’s unique strengths and support needs
Guide school accommodations and IEP planning
Support registration for the Ontario Autism Program and access to community services
Inform therapy, coaching, and workplace or post-secondary accommodations
What the Assessment Includes:
ADOS-2 Observation: The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is a standardized assessment made up of play-based and conversational activities, chosen based on the person’s age and language level. It is considered the gold standard for observing the communication and social behaviours associated with autism.
Developmental History: A detailed interview with parents or caregivers about early development, milestones, and current concerns. For adults, this takes the form of a personal history interview.
Cognitive Testing: Standardized testing of learning and reasoning abilities, to understand how the person thinks and learns.
Adaptive Functioning: Measures such as the Vineland assess everyday life skills — communication, daily living, and socialization.
Questionnaires: Standardized rating scales completed by parents, teachers, or the person themselves, to capture how things look across settings.
What to Expect:
Initial Consultation: We start with a detailed discussion about your concerns, history, and objectives.
Tailored Evaluation: Assessment sessions are customized to the person — their age, language level, and needs.
Supportive Environment: We create a comfortable, unhurried, and stress-free setting, with breaks as needed.
Feedback Session: You will meet with Dr. Diana Garcia, who will go over the results with you, explain what they mean, and answer your questions.
Comprehensive Report: You will receive a thorough written report explaining the results, with practical recommendations.
Recommendations: At the feedback session, Dr. Garcia will review the recommendations with you. The report serves as a roadmap of suggested supports and next steps, which you can take to your school, family doctor, or other providers.
Assessments for Adults:
Many adults seek an assessment after years of wondering whether autism explains their experiences. Some come to us after their own child has been diagnosed. Others simply want an answer. Our adult assessments are thorough and unhurried, and a diagnosis can open the door to workplace and post-secondary accommodations.
A Clear Path Forward: A diagnosis on its own is not the goal. What matters is understanding the person well enough to put the right supports in place — at home, at school, or at work.
Reach out to schedule an autism assessment today and take the first step toward clarity, understanding, and support.