Question 1

What types of providers will benefit from Autism Insights training and services?

Accepted Answer

Primary care and mental health providers will benefit most from our services. Our most common clients are pediatricians, psychologists, and psychiatric providers. The following provider types are licensed to diagnose autism in Washington State by the Washington State Healthcare Authority.
Pediatric primary care providers, including pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, and pediatric physician assistants.
Child Clinical Psychologists
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
Certain other Physician Specialists, including Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians

Social Workers & other Masters-Level therapists supporting autistic children would also benefit from understanding of resources and supports for children and families. Some may also participate in the diagnostic evaluation process.

Question 2

How long will training take?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your goals and where you are starting. Our work together could be as little as a minimal number of hours for clinical consultation or more in depth training. I will give you an estimate after our free consultation call.

Question 3

Why invest in autism training and care?

Accepted Answer

Autism diagnoses are increasing each year, yet many primary care and mental health providers feel underprepared and refer patients to autism specialists for a diagnosis, even when they are confident their patient has autism. Autism Insights can help you integrate autism assessments into your practice-- at a pace and breadth that makes you comfortable. You will  strengthen patient loyalty, enhance provider expertise, and elevate career satisfaction. You can make a big difference with minimal investment!

See more reasons to invest and justification to get the program approved on the "Why Invest?" page.

Question 4

Are training and consultations in-person or virtual?

Accepted Answer

We offer both in-person and virtual training and consultations.

Question 5

What is the cost of your services?

Accepted Answer

We charge an hourly fee that will be discussed in our first free phone consultation appointment. We offer a sliding scale for practices or providers who see a majority Medicaid population.

Question 6

Can I schedule a one-time case consultation?

Accepted Answer

Yes (usually). Single case consultations are available for established Autism Insights clients and may be available for new clients after an initial consultation conversation.

Question 7

I’ve been trained in an autism diagnostic tool, but I’m not yet confident in administering and interpretation. Can Autism Insights help me?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Through our live, hands-on consultations, Autism Insights provides feedback and support in administering and interpreting a range of autism diagnostic tools. While we are not formal trainers for specific tools, we can offer unbiased guidance on selecting the right measures for your practice and continue to support you after your initial training.

Question 8

I am a psychologist or psychiatrist in private practice – what can you offer me?

Accepted Answer

We’re so glad you’re here! Although autism diagnoses from psychologists and psychiatrists are accepted by state and commercial insurance plans, many providers feel they are underprepared to evaluate autism in their practice. Autism assessment is usually not covered in depth in graduate school or medical training programs! We are happy to work with you to meet your needs- including discussion of developmental history collection,  education on varied diagnostic tools, and best practices for diagnosis that allow easier access to resources and supports.

Question 9

I’m a pediatrician and getting comfortable evaluating young children, but I don’t feel comfortable seeing older children or those with more complex presentations. Can you help fill my gap in practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we’re glad you’re prioritizing your comfort level! Autism evaluations can be complex, and while research supports training non-specialists to assess some younger children, there is not yet research on evaluation outcomes in school-age kids and adolescents. We’re happy to help with more nuanced cases or older children right in your clinic, reducing the need for outside referrals with long wait times – and creating valuable learning opportunities for you in the process.

Question 10

In Washington state, how is this different from Autism Center of Excellence (COE) and ECHO Autism programs supporting autism assessment in Washington state?

Accepted Answer

Great question! The University of Washington (UW) offers Autism COE and ECHO Autism statewide training programs in autism assessment for Medicaid providers, but they are not able to provide hands-on, individualized clinical training and consultation. Dr. Gerdts, a co-leader of these UW trainings, founded Autism Insights to address this training gap, offering a more personalized approach to provider education. Dr. Gerdts' work at Autism Insights is separate from the UW training programs.

Click here to learn more about the UW trainings: 
Autism Center of Excellence https://medicalhome.org/stateinitiatives/centers-of-excellence/ 
ECHO Autism Washington: https://wainclude.org/echo/echo-autism/

Question 11

Does Autism Insights train healthcare providers outside of Washington state?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We are happy to do virtual trainings and live virtual patient consultations with providers and clinics outside of Washington state.

Question 12

Does insurance accept autism diagnoses from primary care providers with training in autism assessments?

Accepted Answer

Largely, yes. This is state-by-state dependent. For clinics with mixed payor types, we will work with you before embarking on training or consultation services to ensure that autism diagnoses would be accepted by a primary care provider for your most common commercial payors.

In Washington state, medicaid insurance plans accept autism diagnoses from pediatricians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and naturopaths who have undergone Autism COE training.  Please visit the Autism Center of Excellence trainings to learn more: https://medicalhome.org/stateinitiatives/centers-of-excellence/

Question 13

How do I bill for autism assessments?

Accepted Answer

Billing for autism assessments varies based on provider type. We will share commonly used CPT codes for your provider type. The Autism Center of Excellence Quickstart Guide has examples of billing codes that may be helpful. https://medicalhome.org/COEquickstart.pdf

Question 14

What can I expect for reimbursement rates?

Accepted Answer

Reimbursement rates vary widely depending on provider type and whether/what type of insurance you accept. We will work with you to provide an estimate of what you could expect, based on billing codes and anticipated time spent during evaluations. We will also provide practical tips and strategies to help maximize reimbursement.

Question 15

I am looking for an autism assessment for my child. Do you offer diagnostic evaluations for autism through a clinic?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Gerdts is a provider at Brave Seattle, and would gladly evaluate your child. Contact us at https://www.braveseattle.com/.

Question 16

What age is autism typically diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Autism can be reliably diagnosed by a specialist by age 2, but the average age of autism diagnosis in the U.S. is 4-5 years.
The average age of first intervention in the U.S. is 4.7 years.
The average age of diagnosis for children in lower income households is 4.7 years compared to 5.2 years in higher income households.

Source: National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) (2016-2019)

Question 17

How long does it usually take to get an autism diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

The Journal of Pediatrics found that patients wait two or more years for their autism diagnosis. However, with pediatric autism training, wait times are reduced by 50% or more, meaning patients get their diagnosis and start care plans more than 1 year sooner (Penner et al., 2023; McNally et al., 2023; Sohl et al., 2023).

Question 18

Why is early autism diagnosis important?

Accepted Answer

An early diagnosis allows families to access the right services and supports sooner, which improves long-term outcomes and helps their child to reach their full potential. While a diagnosis isn’t always required for many community and school-based supports, it can be a valuable step in understanding the best path forward.

Autism Insights

Commonly Asked Questions

What types of providers will benefit from Autism Insights training and services?

How long will training take?

Why invest in autism training and care?

Are training and consultations in-person or virtual?

What is the cost of your services?

Can I schedule a one-time case consultation?

I’ve been trained in an autism diagnostic tool, but I’m not yet confident in administering and interpretation. Can Autism Insights help me?

I am a psychologist or psychiatrist in private practice – what can you offer me?

I’m a pediatrician and getting comfortable evaluating young children, but I don’t feel comfortable seeing older children or those with more complex presentations. Can you help fill my gap in practice?

In Washington state, how is this different from Autism Center of Excellence (COE) and ECHO Autism programs supporting autism assessment in Washington state?

Does Autism Insights train healthcare providers outside of Washington state?

Does insurance accept autism diagnoses from primary care providers with training in autism assessments?

How do I bill for autism assessments?

What can I expect for reimbursement rates?

I am looking for an autism assessment for my child. Do you offer diagnostic evaluations for autism through a clinic?

What age is autism typically diagnosed?

How long does it usually take to get an autism diagnosis?

Why is early autism diagnosis important?

More questions?
Get in touch today.

Autism Insights

Commonly Asked Questions

What types of providers will benefit from Autism Insights training and services?

How long will training take?

Why invest in autism training and care?

Are training and consultations in-person or virtual?

What is the cost of your services?

Can I schedule a one-time case consultation?

I’ve been trained in an autism diagnostic tool, but I’m not yet confident in administering and interpretation. Can Autism Insights help me?

I am a psychologist or psychiatrist in private practice – what can you offer me?

I’m a pediatrician and getting comfortable evaluating young children, but I don’t feel comfortable seeing older children or those with more complex presentations. Can you help fill my gap in practice?

In Washington state, how is this different from Autism Center of Excellence (COE) and ECHO Autism programs supporting autism assessment in Washington state?

Does Autism Insights train healthcare providers outside of Washington state?

Does insurance accept autism diagnoses from primary care providers with training in autism assessments?

How do I bill for autism assessments?

What can I expect for reimbursement rates?

I am looking for an autism assessment for my child. Do you offer diagnostic evaluations for autism through a clinic?

What age is autism typically diagnosed?

How long does it usually take to get an autism diagnosis?

Why is early autism diagnosis important?

More questions? Get in touch today.

More questions?
Get in touch today.