Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessments with Sari in Frisco, TX
Our Mission
Positive Path offers comprehensive assessment and mental health services for children, adults, couples, and families among counselors who help you to achieve personal growth and improve well-being based on evidence based methods in a compassionate and supportive environment where you are encouraged to explore challenges, develop coping skills, and foster positive change in your life.
Correct diagnosis and through assessment assists with many things in life:
- Focus in counseling
- Medical management
- Behavior management
- Parenting at home
- Resources in the community
- Accommodations and individualized help at School, College, Work, etc.
- Assess personal strengths and weaknesses
- Fulfill ABA therapy requirements
- Offers validation to something you many have wondered a while
Assessments are completed for children 18 months+ and adults in areas such as:
- Autism
- Intellectual Disability
- ADHD
- Anxiety Disorders such as Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- Depressive Disorders
- Learning Disorders in reading, writing, and math (i.e. dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia)
- Eating Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Schizophrenia
- Psychotic Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Substance Disorders, etc.
Our Approach
Sari completes comprehensive diagnostic assessments ruling in/out often co-occurring disorders what is developmentally appropriate across lifespan. All appropriate diagnosis is considered to help with clinical attention to those struggles.
ADOS-2, one of the gold standards in autism assessment, is completed as a part of the Autism evaluation.
Components of a Comprehensive Assessment
There are many components in the evaluation process:
- Consultation meeting during which the process of the evaluation is discussed, areas of evaluation focus is decided, in-person testing is scheduled.
- Parent and/ or client interview
- Collecting information from other sources (e.g. teachers, therapists, etc.)
- Scoring of the forms, interpreting the information, and writing the report
- Feedback meeting will take place to go over the evaluation results thoroughly
You will receive a comprehensive evaluation report including the diagnosis and appropriate recommendations when the evaluation is completed that you can share with your doctor, psychiatrists, pediatrician, school, college, work, etc. The length of the evaluation completion depends on availability and the depth and length of the evaluation.
What happens after the assessment is completed?
You will have a thorough meeting with Sari to discuss the assessment findings in detail as well as the extensive recommendations and next steps.
Even after the feedback meeting, Sari is here to help you with anything you need!
Comprehensive Autism Assessments
What is Autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 31 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States today
(Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism)
Get Started Today
Take the first step towards a happier and healthier life. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.
Why is Early Intervention Important?
Common Co-occurring conditions
Common Co-occurring conditions
Common Co-occurring conditions
Common co-occurring diagnoses with autism include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, sensory issues, and sleep disorders.
Who can have Autism?
Common Co-occurring conditions
Common Co-occurring conditions
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can affect anyone, but research indicates that boys are diagnosed four times more often than girls. This disparity may be due to differences in presentation; girls' symptoms can be more subtle, with fewer challenges in social communication and fewer repetitive behaviors, which can lead to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. Diagnosis is also more challenging for autistic adults who have learned to "mask" or hide their symptoms.
Does Autism go Away?
Common Co-occurring conditions
Social and Communication Features
Autism is a lifelong condition, and the needs, strengths, and challenges of an autistic person can evolve over time, necessitating varying levels of support and accommodations as they navigate different life stages. Early intervention and therapies are crucial, often significantly impacting a person's later skills and life outcomes. Some people may not meet the criteria for Autism later in life with early intervention strategies.
Social and Communication Features
Social and Communication Features
Social and Communication Features
Common social and communication characteristics often associated with autism include a literal interpretation of language, leading to difficulty understanding sarcasm, metaphors, or idioms. Individuals may also face challenges with social cues, such as reading body language or maintaining typical eye contact. Communication can be very direct and honest, sometimes leading to misinterpretation as rudeness. Social interaction can be draining, resulting in social fatigue and a preference for solitude. Lastly, some individuals engage in "masking," which is the conscious or unconscious effort to hide autistic traits to better fit into social situations.
Behaviors and Interests
Social and Communication Features
Behaviors and Interests
Autistic traits in behavior and interests are often characterized by a few key areas. Individuals frequently exhibit intense, deeply focused special interests, leading to a high level of expertise in specific topics. There is a strong reliance on routine, making unexpected transitions particularly difficult. Repetitive movements, often called stimming (like hand-flapping or rocking), serve as a form of self-regulation. Finally, a heightened attention to detail allows for the noticing of patterns, minor details, or subtle sounds that are often overlooked by others.
Sensory and Emotions
Social and Communication Features
Behaviors and Interests
Sensory and Emotional Traits often associated with neurodivergence, including differences in how sensory information is processed (hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to light, sound, etc.), experiencing emotions intensely (though perhaps not expressed typically), and engaging in sensory-seeking or sensory-avoiding behaviors.
Autism is not all about Weaknesses
Potential strengths include the ability to maintain deep focus on tasks for extended periods, a strong commitment to honesty and loyalty rooted in a sense of justice, and a high capacity for pattern recognition leading to creative problem-solving. These traits are coupled with a high intellectual ability and strong verbal skills.
Contact Sari Today
Let Sari know if you have any questions!
Sari accepts major insurance and private pay (see FAQ for more info)
