Cost
Cost of autism evaluations vary from setting to setting. When a school-aged child is referred for an autism evaluation in the public schools in the United States, the cost of the evaluation is covered by the school system. The family does not pay any additional fees for the evaluation. In other settings, those who have insurance may have coverage for part or all of the autism evaluation costs. This varies. Acceptance of insurance varies as well.
Because autism impacts people across areas including communication, motor, sensory, emotional, cognitive, executive functioning, the assessment of autism addresses multiple areas.
The scope of the assessment may vary based on the purpose of the assessment.
Is the evaluation strictly for the purpose of determining if autism is an accurate description of the characteristics of the individual? In that case a brief evaluation conducted by a single professional may provide the necessary information.
If, however, the purpose of the evaluation is to get a range of information about how the individual functions and what they need so that programming or support strategies can be put in place, that calls for a more intensive and multifaceted approach. In this situation the autism evaluation may require a team of professionals from different backgrounds. The team may include speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, nurse practitioners, educational/cognitive specialists, etc. The range of information needed for an evaluation will impact the cost.