Autism
Unicorn Children's Foundation Clinic
The Unicorn Children's Foundation Clinic provides comprehensive psycho-developmental evaluations for the diagnosis and assessment of autism and related disorders in children ages birth through five years. The clinic is housed in NSU's Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, home to the Baudhuin Preschool, an internationally recognized model program for children aged 3-5 with autism spectrum disorders and Starting Right, for children 18 month to 36 months of age diagnosed with, or at risk for, an autism spectrum disorder.
The assessment battery administered by a licensed psychology is based on individual needs and includes the use of the Gold Standards in autism diagnostic assessments. A typical assessment battery may include the following: autism diagnostic instruments such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R), developmental assessments to measure the child's current levels of intellectual and developmental functioning, psycho-educational assessments to measure academic and pre-academic achievement, communication assessment, and adaptive behavior assessment to assess the child's competence in meeting independent needs and satisfying the social demands of his/her environment.
A unique, multidisciplinary assessment that involves speech and language pathology and occupational therapy is also available. The primary goals of the evaluation are to identify current levels of functioning, facilitate diagnostic decisions, assess developmental skills, and obtain a comprehensive understanding of the child in order to provide individualized recommendations for treatment and service planning. Family therapy support will be provided to families throughout the evaluation process and assist families in accessing recommended services and interventions. The entire multidisciplinary evaluation is typically completed in 6-8 hours divided over 2-3 sessions.
The Unicorn Children's Foundation Clinic was established through a lead gift from the Unicorn Children's Foundation, which is dedicated to helping all children with communication and learning disorders.