Should I get my child assessed or wait and see?

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If you are concerned about your child’s development in any way you should get your child assessed by a trained professional. Studies show that early identification and intervention are the best way to ensure the most effective progress for your child. Your pediatrician is a good place to start.

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Pediatrician - Discuss your concerns with your pediatrician and mutually decide what the appropriate next steps would be. If a plan to “wait and see” is suggested and you still feel concerned or anxious, I suggest you let your pediatrician know that you would like the reassurance of an evaluation instead of waiting. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you to the appropriate specialist that is best suited to evaluate your child. Best practices suggest always getting an evaluation if there is concern about development rather than waiting.

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Regional Center - These are non-profit organizations set up in regions around the state. They provide services and support for those with developmental disabilities and their families. If your child is between the ages of 0-35 months and you are concerned about their physical skills, cognitive skills, language skills, social-emotional skills, self-care skills(feeding, dressing), or their reactions to sensations, you can call your local regional center directly and request an evaluation to determine if your child meets requirements for eligibility under “Early Start Program” or your state’s “Prevention Program”. You do not need your doctor to call nor do you need a doctor’s prescription for this evaluation. There is no charge for the initial evaluation.

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Local School - If your child is 35 months or older and you have concerns about their development, you can request they be evaluated by your home district school, special education division. There is no charge for the initial evaluation.

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Major Universities with a pediatric evaluation clinc, or a children's hospital - Being evaluated at a children’s hospital or university center has many advantages including multidisciplinary teams with specialty training and often times, access to research trials. Calling one of these centers and speaking with an intake coordinator would be a good place to start. Often, however, many of these centers have long waitlists so it would be prudent to add your name to the list if you want to move forward with this option. If the waitlist seems too long to wait, you can pursue other options for evaluation while you maintain your place on the waitlist.

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Private clinics and solo practioners- There are many private therapy clinics and solo practitioners specializing in pediatric evaluation and treatment. You can ask trusted friends and professionals for recommendations.  It is very important to inquire whether the practitioner is

legally authorized to diagnose the condition, if you are seeking an evaluation for diagnostic purposes. Not all professionals are authorized to diagnose, however many are able to perform valuable evaluations and provide you with important information about your child’s functioning and treatment needs without making a diagnosis. Whomever you chose  should have the appropriate professional credentials required by the state, and have ample experience in assessment and treatment of children with the condition for which you are seeking help.

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It is always a good practice to inquire about your health insurance benefits for pediatric services  before calling one of these options so that you can inform the intake coordinator and know what you are covered for and the exclusions. Many private professionals do not take insurance but will provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. It is imperative you know your benefits and exclusions for the services before the appointment if you expect to get reimbursed.