We are so excited to share with you that Mountain Vista Psychology is now able to complete Autism Testing & Autism Diagnosis for those who have Medicaid! As you know, we are a mission and passion driven practice. We have been on mission to ensure quality mental health care is accessible so lives can be changed. Our mission is the reason why we decided to get paneled with Medicaid. There are long wait lists throughout Colorado for people who need to get an Autism evaluation and possible Autism Diagnosis, often up to a year. Long wait lists are true for everyone, but especially those who have Medicaid. This is heart breaking. Why is this so heart breaking? If you wait a year to get tested and diagnosed for Autism, you miss a year of intervention, accommodations, support, and understanding. A year of life wasted. A year of intervention delayed. This is especially critical for kids, who can get access to interventions that can greatly improve their lives.
So, how do you know if you should pursue an Autism Evaluation? Below, we have included symptoms of Autism Spectrum according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention’s website (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html):
A person with ASD might:
Not respond to their name by 12 months of age
Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
Not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll) by 18 months
Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
Have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings
Have delayed speech and language skills
Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
Give unrelated answers to questions
Get upset by minor changes
Have obsessive interests
Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
Social Skills:
Social issues are one of the most common symptoms in all of the types of ASD. People with an ASD do not have just social “difficulties” like shyness. The social issues they have cause serious problems in everyday life.
Examples of social issues related to ASD:
Does not respond to name by 12 months of age
Avoids eye-contact
Prefers to play alone
Does not share interests with others
Only interacts to achieve a desired goal
Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions
Does not understand personal space boundaries
Avoids or resists physical contact
Is not comforted by others during distress
Has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about own feelings
If this sounds familiar, don’t wait, get an evaluation. We provide a thorough evaluation by a licensed psychologist without the long wait times! So, if you have Medicaid and you think your child may be on the Autism Spectrum, please don’t wait to get evaluated. Call us today so you can get answers. We are here to help!
Phone Number for Our Care Coordinator: 720-583-9332
info@MountainVistaPsychology.com
www.MountainVistaPsychology.com
Dr. Steffanie Stecker a licensed psychologist and the owner and clinical director of Mountain Vista Psychology, PLLC.
In addition, she is a board certified neurotherapist (BCN E5669) and board certified in QEEG (QEEG-D). Less than 100 people world wide are board certified in QEEG, which indicates competency in reading QEEGs and choosing neurofeedback protocols. Dr. Stecker is passionate about brain based effective therapy and creating a safe relationship for her clients to create change. She loves what she gets to do each day!