FAQ for the Pediatrician
You need to ask your family doctor to make a referral to see a pediatrician. If you are paying privately, you may not need a referral.
There is no cost if you have MSP coverage.
It is usually 1-2 months. It could be longer depending on the waiting list.
It is usually 1-1.5 hours.
A pediatrician usually sees patients from birth to 18 years of age.
FAQ for the Psychologists
If your child has been seen by other professionals such as a pediatrician, speech-language pathologist, or occupational therapist, and you have the reports from them, please bring them to the appointment. Any letters from school would also be helpful.
Yes, with a private autism assessment, the result of the assessment is kept confidential and will not be released without the consent of the parents/legal guardian.
Yes, if your child meets the criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder after being assessed by our team, the child would qualify for the same funding as those completed through the public system.
It depends on the quality of the previous assessment received. Families who have received an ASD diagnosis in another province, territory, or outside of Canada will require a “Confirmation of Previous Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder” form to be signed by a qualified BC specialist. Our psychologists will thoroughly review the previous assessment reports and determine if the child meets the diagnostic standards set by the BC Autism Assessment Network (BCAAN). If it does, our psychologists will sign the confirmation form, and no reassessment is needed. If the previous assessment is deemed inadequate, a reassessment will be needed.
FAQ for SLP Services
There are many options for accessing funding for speech and language services. You may be eligible for reimbursement through your extended health, or your child may qualify for funding through one of the following programs and charities:
- Autism Funding Unit
- At Home Program
- Variety Children’s Charity
- CKNW Kids Fund
Please contact the above programs for inquiries about possible available funding. Our SLPs can offer services to help apply for funding, as applicable to your child’s Circumstance.
Caregivers play an important role in children’s speech and language development. We encourage caregivers to actively participate in sessions when possible and use the skills and strategies in their daily life routines and shared play activities.
The frequency of therapy services depends on child’s needs as well as parental involvement and availability. The SLP can discuss the best treatment plan with you, according to your child’s goals. Treatment sessions are usually 1 hour long.
Every child’s speech and language needs are unique. Assessment helps the SLP determine a child’s strengths and challenges. They also help the SLP determine priority and procedure for therapy. If your child has been recently assessed by another SLP,please provide us with any relevant information (i.e. assessment report/progress notes)so that we can determine what other areas might require further assessment.
Early identification and early intervention play a vital role in helping the children with
speech and language delays improve their speech and language skills and get ready
before they enter kindergarten. Any delays of intervention may have a negative impact
on a child’s academic study and overall development.
You can let your child know that he/she will be playing with toys and participate in a variety of activities including reading books, playing with puzzles, and answering questions. We can pause the assessment at any point if your child needs to take a break or use the washroom.
FAQ for Occupational Therapy
Every child with a diagnosis of autism has their own functional and developmental characteristics. A professional therapist can use the results of the sensory integration assessment to determine whether your child has sensory processing differences. The therapist can also determine whether sensory processing issues hinder the development of certain functions or motor skills, or cause certain emotional or behavioral challenges. The therapist will also provide you with specific suggestions on the future development of your child based on the evaluation results. Sensory integration is one of many treatment theories and treatment tools. Occupational therapists may use the sensory integration theory framework, combined with other related treatment tools, to achieve the desired treatment results effectively. If you suspect that the behavioral and emotional problems, delayed motor skills, or learning difficulties are caused by sensory processing issues, it is recommended that you seek the assistance from a professional therapist.
The ultimate goal of an occupational therapist is to improve the individual’s self-care ability, learning and play skills. To achieve these goals, the occupational therapist focuses on the assessment and treatment of various aspects of the development of children, such as sensory integration, gross and fine motor skills, emotional regulation and challenging behaviors. According to research, 93-96% of autistic patients have sensory integration problems, the severity of which has serious impacts on their daily lives and functions. Also, delayed motor skills, poor emotional regulation, and challenging behaviors are common problems in children with autism. If your child experiences developmental difficulties in the areas mentioned above, then it is very likely that occupational therapy will be beneficial. If you are not sure whether your child needs occupational therapy, you can also seek professional occupational therapy assessment and then discuss it with your therapist.
Occupational therapists design and implement therapeutic activities or “games” according to the treatment goals and development needs of the case (These developmental areas include emotions regulation, sensory integration and processing, cognition, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, learning, problematic behaviors, play skills, and self-care skills), so that the children will make progress in their functionalities and independence, and then achieve the goals of treatment.
Also, the occupational therapist provides parents or school teachers with consultation, education, and training according to each child’s condition and needs, so that these caretakers and educators will be able to provide an appropriate learning environment and adequate support to facilitate the development of these children.
FAQ for BCBA Services
The ABLLS-R is the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised, VB-MAPP is the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program and ESDM is the Early Screening Denver Model. All are curriculum and skills tracking systems for children diagnosed with ASD and other developmental disabilities. These assessments identify areas of skills necessary for your child’s success in learning functional skills for independence and academic learning. The appropriate assessment tool is selected based on the individual learner’s current skills, age and any challenges that may be interfering with learning.
Many research studies have documented the effectiveness of intensive behavior interventions for ASD. Ivar Lovaas (1987) demonstrated that children receiving 40 hrs per week (for at least 2 years) of intensive behavior intervention made significantly larger gains than those receiving only 10 hrs per week. Furthermore, almost half of the children receiving intensive behavioral intervention achieved outcomes that placed them in the normal range of intellectual, communication, and adaptive functioning.
In an early intensive intervention program, individualized intervention plans are developed and implemented for your child based on specific developmental areas. Behavioral Interventionists (BI) are trained to implement program goals at the home of the child.
Your child’s intervention team consists of a BCBA, who supervises the child’s progress as well as trains BI’s to implement intervention plans. BIs are interventionists who teach your child the specific skills to achieve the program goals. A team meeting typically occurs monthly where progress is reviewed and programs are updated to meet the child’s ongoing needs.
