Autism Testing: Jenny’s Clinic Uses ADOS, the “Gold Standard”

At Jenny’s Speech and Learning Clinic, we offer the “gold standard” of autism testing. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is highly regarded, and, at Jenny’s, our psychologists and speech-language pathologists have completed the requisite intensive training to administer the ADOS.

Here’s how it works: The ADOS provides a 30- to 45-minute observation period during which our staff member presents a child with opportunities to exhibit behaviors related to autism or pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). This means we present the child with typical, every-day social communication and social interactions that will likely produce certain behaviors. We then examine the child’s behavior in the interaction and record, categorize and code our observations. The observations are scored quantitatively to determine an accurate diagnosis for the child.

The ADOS is unique because it allows us to evaluate the child’s behavior “live” and in person, unlike other tests where parents answer a questionnaire about past behaviors. Another advantage is that the ADOS is appropriate for children that are speaking very little or not at all. Children who demonstrate a developmental level of 12 months or older can be evaluated, no matter their age. In addition, the test is used frequently by universities in research studies.

Jenny’s Speech and Learning Clinic is one of the only service providers in the Tucson area that has speech-language therapists trained in the ADOS test. Contact us to schedule a free consultation or an autism evaluation.

Jenny’s Clinic takes Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna insurance for this autism test, if we receive a doctor’s referral. In the next 2-4 months, we will accept many more insurance providers, including Health Net, Tricare, United Health Care, Multiplan Network, Arizona Foundation for Medical Care Network and  Humana.