Autism Evaluation in Katy, TX: When the School Said Your Child Did Not Qualify

A lot of families come to us after the school said their child did not qualify. That is not the same as not having autism.

Two different questions

School evaluations are built around one question: does this child qualify for specialized services? That is a legitimate question. It is not the same as asking whether your child is on the autism spectrum, what their specific profile looks like, or what will actually help them.

Those are different questions, and they do not always have the same answer.

Why families call us

We get calls from families who have already been through the school process and still do not have answers. Sometimes they were told the results were not enough to qualify. Sometimes the evaluation was done years ago and things have changed. Sometimes they simply still have questions. That is reason enough to call.

How we use the ADOS-2

At Katy Psychological Services, our team of licensed psychologists conducts comprehensive autism evaluations using the ADOS-2. The ADOS-2 is the gold standard observational assessment for autism spectrum disorders.

We do not use it as a shortcut. We use it as part of a thorough diagnostic battery that looks at the full picture. That picture includes your child's history, your observations, and how they communicate, play and connect with others.

Who we evaluate

We evaluate children as young as 18 months. We also evaluate adolescents and adults. Autism can look very different at different ages, so the evaluation is shaped around the person in front of us.

You do not need to wait for a school to raise a concern. If you have noticed differences in how your child communicates, plays or responds to the world, you can reach out at any time.

Four of our psychologists are dual-licensed as Licensed Psychologists (LP) and Licensed School Psychologists (LSP). That means we can speak directly to both the clinical findings and what they mean for your child's school experience. Bilingual evaluations are available in Spanish.

What to expect

We start by listening to your concerns and your child's story. Testing follows. About three weeks later, you receive a written report and meet with us in person to go through the results in plain language.

A report is only useful when it leads somewhere. Ours explain what we found and why, and they include practical next steps for home and school. If your child already has a school plan, we will talk through how the findings fit with it.

New evaluation clients are often seen the same week.

Ready to talk?

If you have had concerns, or if a previous evaluation left you with more questions than answers, we would be honored to help. Call or text (281) 306-3068 or visit katypsychservices.com.