Telehealth Services
Expectations for evaluations primarily via telehealth.
Since April 2020, I have been providing evaluations primarily via telehealth. When the pandemic hit, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center provided us Psychologists nationwide with a remote ASD diagnostic tool that they had in research trials before COVID-19 was even a thing. I have found it to be refreshing in many ways; this modality allows me to see genuine parent-child interactions that aren’t clouded by the presence of distractions, anxiety of new people (me!) or places (my office!), and gives me the opportunity to see children interacting with their favorite toys at home. It is largely a comfortable experience for children in their natural environments.
Research has demonstrated the value of telehealth assessment for Autism, yielding 93% diagnostic accuracy in a study of toddlers when comparing tele-clinician’s diagnostic impressions to the results of in-person assessment.
You will receive emails prior to your appt as described in the “what to expect: for the parents” section of this website. We will meet on video via my Simple Practice platform, which is HIPAA compliant and secure. I will guide you through the play-based assessment activities I’d like to see and take notes on your child’s behaviors and communication style. We will then do an interview, and I’ll keep watching your child’s behavior informally as we talk. At the end of the appointment, we will have a feedback session where we will discuss my impressions. Occasionally, I might determine that your child needs follow-up observation for diagnostic clarity even after conducting a remote evaluation.