• Mixed communication signals: Your child might have a wide vocabulary or speak early, but struggle to use language to communicate their basic needs or carry on a two-way conversation.

• Inconsistent eye contact: They may avoid eye contact completely, or only make eye contact briefly when they want something.

• Difficulty with peer play: Preferring to play alone, struggling to share or take turns, or playing alongside other kids rather than interacting with them.

• Not responding to their name: Consistently not turning when called, making it seem like they might have hearing trouble even though their hearing is perfectly fine.

• Repetitive movements or play: Hand-flapping, rocking, spinning in circles, or lining up toys and objects rather than playing with them imaginatively.

• Over- or under-sensitivity: Strong, intense reactions to common sensory inputs like the texture of certain clothes, loud sounds (like vacuums or hair dryers), or specific food textures.

• Deep, hyper-focused interests: Becoming intensely attached to specific topics, objects, or routines, and feeling highly distressed if those routines change.

• Regression of skills: Having words, signs, or social skills at one point and then losing them over time.

Getting a diagnosis can feel like a big unknown, so here's exactly what the process looks like, from start to finish:

1. We submit your referral. Once you're ready, we complete a simple referral form on your behalf, letting AT4K know your preferred appointment times.

2. AT4K reaches out to schedule. Their concierge team will contact you directly to set up two 90-minute appointments — an Intake Assessment and an Evaluation.

3. You'll complete some paperwork. Before your appointments, you'll fill out a few questionnaires and standard assessment measures to help paint a full picture of your child's development.

4. Intake Assessment. You'll meet virtually with an AT4K psychologist to talk through your concerns, walk through your child's history, and get a clear idea of what's ahead — including how to securely upload a few videos of your child at home.

5. Share a glimpse of home. Using the Frontera app, you'll securely upload some simple videos of your child, giving the psychologist a chance to see them in their natural environment before the big appointment.

6. Virtual Evaluation. You and your child will join a 90-minute virtual appointment, where the psychologist will guide you both through some simple, activity-based assessments.

7. You'll receive your results. Within days, you'll receive a full Evaluation Report — sent to you and your ABA provider — so you can move forward with clarity and a clear plan.

We know it might feel a little unconventional to pursue a diagnosis without ever stepping into an office — so let's talk about why it actually works, and often works even better.

Research backs this up. Virtual assessments show up to 94% agreement with in-person testing, including the gold-standard ADOS-2 assessment your child's providers may already be familiar with. In practice, that means a virtual evaluation isn't a lesser version of an in-person one — it's simply a different, equally reliable path to the same clear answers.

There's also something to be said for meeting your child where they're most comfortable. At home, surrounded by their own toys, in their own space, kids tend to be more relaxed and more themselves — which means the psychologist gets to see your child's true, everyday behavior rather than a version shaped by nerves or an unfamiliar room. And because you're right there with them the whole time, you're an active part of the process too, not just a bystander in a waiting room.

Virtual evaluations are also simply easier to access. There's no travel, no time off work for a long drive, and more flexibility to find an appointment time that actually fits your family's life. That means less time waiting and worrying, and more time getting your child the support they need.

And perhaps most reassuring of all: 98% of parents who've completed a virtual autism assessment say they'd recommend the process to other families.

This isn't just anecdotal — it's backed by peer-reviewed research. Recent studies published in PLOS Digital Health and the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics have found that telehealth autism assessments are both valid and reliable, with strong caregiver satisfaction across the board.