Child Development Diagnostic Tests & Screenings

Though there may be one primary issue that prompts you to have your child’s development evaluated, there may be several factors that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. 

At the Child Development and Autism Center, designated a Child Evaluation Center by the New Jersey Department of Education, we can diagnose your child’s developmental condition using a series of comprehensive assessments, which may include:

Educational Assessment

A learning disabilities teacher consultant from our center will assess your child’s academic functioning and learning characteristics and make recommendations for the most appropriate educational approach. Testing is conducted with the child alone, but you are required to remain on site during this time. Additional appointments may be necessary to fully complete the evaluation. This service is not covered by any health insurance and requires full payment at time of evaluation.

Additional Diagnostic Services

Depending on your child's needs, our center provides additional assessments, such as:

• Speech and language evaluation
• Autism diagnostic interview-revised (ADIR) – assesses autism and pervasive development disorder (PDD) through a structured interview with the child’s caregiver
• Autism diagnostic observation scale (ADOS) testing – evaluates and diagnoses autism and PDD across ages, developmental levels and language skills
• High risk infant follow-up program – provides screening and referral services for children at risk for developmental delay, such as those with very low birth weight or those who experienced trauma during delivery

Neurodevelopmental Assessment

Our pediatric nurse practitioner or one of our developmental pediatricians will evaluate your child to determine if any medical, developmental, behavioral or neurological factors are impacting his or her normal functioning. All historical information will be reviewed and discussed and initial findings will be provided. Up to two subsequent visits may be necessary to complete the diagnostic process. This service may be covered through your health insurance. When contacting your carrier, provide them with codes 99241 through 99245 for the assessment, code 96111 for developmental testing and code 96110 for developmental screening.

Psychological Evaluation

During this appointment, one of our psychologists will test your child’s cognitive and processing functions through an IQ test. Although your child must take the test alone, you are required to remain on-site during this time. Emotional functioning will also be evaluated using the provided historical information, a structured interview and other assessment measures, as needed. Additional appointments may be necessary to fully complete the evaluation. This service is sometimes covered visit under the mental health section of your health insurance. When contacting your carrier, please provide them with code #96101 to obtain a pre-certification number.

Parent Interpretive Conference

During this appointment, one of our clinicians will meet with you to discuss the full results of the evaluations and treatment recommendations. Please bring with you any pertinent information, such as recent evaluations, teacher reports and new behavioral questionnaires. This service is sometimes considered a follow-up visit and may be covered under the mental health section of your insurance. When contacting your carrier, please provide them with code #90887 to obtain a pre-certification number.

Parent or Guardian Intake  

If you are scheduled for an intake appointment, you and one of our social workers will discuss historical information about your child’s development, temperament and behavior, as well as educational and family factors. This service is sometimes covered under the mental health section of your health insurance. When contacting your carrier, please provide them with code 90791 to obtain a pre-certification number.