How do I get an autism evaluation for my child?

There are three doors and you can walk through all of them at once. Ask your pediatrician for a referral to someone who diagnoses autism: a developmental pediatrician, a child psychologist or neuropsychologist, a child psychiatrist, sometimes a pediatric neurologist. At the same time, call early intervention if your child is under 3, or write to your school district if your child is 3 or older. Both of those public routes evaluate at no cost to you, and neither one asks you to bring a medical diagnosis first.

Who can actually diagnose autism?

There is no blood test for autism. A specialist looks at your child's developmental history and behavior, watches your child, gives structured tests, and asks you questions or hands you questionnaires, which is how the CDC describes a formal developmental evaluation. The people who do that work are usually developmental pediatricians, child psychologists and neuropsychologists, child psychiatrists, and some pediatric neurologists. Speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists often take part in the evaluation too. When you call a clinic, ask one question that sorts them fast: does the clinician we are scheduled with write the diagnostic report? Some places do the testing and then refer out for the report, and you want to know that before you wait four months.

What does my pediatrician do first?

Screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends general developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months, and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months, and the CDC lists the M-CHAT, a short parent questionnaire, among the common tools. A screen is a sort, NOT a verdict. It only decides who gets a longer look. If the screen flags something, ask for the referral in writing at that visit and ask for your own copy. If the screen came back clean and you still feel what you feel, you can ask for the referral anyway. Parent concern is data. Say it plainly, ask for it to go in the chart, and follow up in writing.

What are the two free public routes?

Under 3, it is early intervention, run by your state under IDEA Part C. Federal rule sets the pace: the initial evaluation, the initial assessments and the first IFSP meeting have to be completed within 45 days of the referral, and the regulations require the evaluation and assessment to be provided at no cost to parents. Age 3 and older, it is your school district's special education office under IDEA Part B. There, the district must complete the initial evaluation within 60 days of the day you give written consent, unless your state has set its own timeframe. Neither route requires a medical diagnosis first, and neither one bills you for the evaluation.

What do I bring, and how long will I wait?

Bring the developmental history written down, because you will blank in the room. When did your child sit, walk, say a first word, and did any of it stop or slide backward. Bring phone video of what worries you at home, notes from daycare or a teacher, the pediatric chart including hearing and vision results, any prior screening results, and your insurance card. Bring a list of what your child does well, because a good report records strengths too. On the wait: it varies by region, clinic and referral type, so ask every clinic what its current wait is when you call, get on more than one list, and start the free public route in parallel while you wait.

What has to be in the written report?

The written report is the thing that moves schools and insurers, so treat it as the deliverable. It should state the diagnosis or state clearly that criteria were not met, name the instruments used and the results, lay out the developmental history, describe strengths as well as challenges, and give recommendations specific enough to hand to a school district or a health plan. Before you leave the last appointment, ask when the report will be ready, how you will receive it, and who to call if it is late. Ask for it in a format you can email. Then put a copy in a folder you keep forever, because you will be asked for it again and again.

• Ask your pediatrician for a written referral to a clinician who diagnoses autism, and ask for your own copy of it.
• Call early intervention if your child is under 3, or write to your school district's special education office if your child is 3 or older.
• Get on more than one waitlist and ask each clinic its current wait when you call.
• Write the developmental history down before the appointment, plus a short list of what your child does well.
• Download the free ABCs of Autism guide as your one-source starting point.

Prefer to start with one guide? Download the free ABCs of Autism guide →

Next: Waitlist what to do while waiting

• CDC, “Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder” (current) https://www.cdc.gov/autism/diagnosis/index.html
• CDC, “Clinical Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder” (current) https://www.cdc.gov/autism/hcp/diagnosis/screening.html
• IDEA, 34 CFR 303.310 Post-referral timeline, 45 days (U.S. Dept. of Education) https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/c/d/303.310
• IDEA, 34 CFR 300.301 Initial evaluations (U.S. Dept. of Education) https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.301

Last updated 2026-09-02. This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your child's clinician about your specific situation.