Autism Evaluation

in Overland Park

Achieve Clarity About Autism

You’ve noticed the social struggles, the rigid routines, the big sensory reactions, and the communication differences. Our autism testing in Overland Park can help you understand what those patterns mean and what support will help your child next.

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Connect with Dr. Taylor

Serving families in Overland Park, KS Leawood, KS Shawnee, KS Olathe, KS Lee's Summit, MO and nearby communities.

Signs You’ve Been Seeing

You may have seen these differences in more than one part of daily life.

At Home

Resists routine changes
Fixates on interests
Strong sensory reactions
Repeats words or phrases

At School

Struggles with group work
Misses jokes or sarcasm
Plays alone often
Social flexibility feels hard

Socially

Trouble making friends
Limited eye contact
Misses others’ feelings
Repetitive social patterns

If this sounds familiar, let's connect.

How We Build a Full Understanding of Your Child

Through deeper assessment, we take time to understand the full story.

Developmental History

Early milestones, language growth, behavior patterns, and social-emotional development help us understand how concerns have shown up over time.

Input From Multiple Settings

We gather parent, caregiver, and teacher feedback because autism can look different across environments and daily demands.

Social and Communication Skills

We assess how your child connects with others, responds in conversation, reads nonverbal cues, and handles back-and-forth interactions.

Play and Behavioral Observation

Structured and unstructured tasks help us observe problem-solving, flexibility, engagement, and social communication in real time.

Cognitive & Adaptive Skills

Focus, daily living, and flexible-thinking skills give us useful context about learning, independence, and support needs.

Diagnostic Clarity

Your autism testing in Overland Park should not stop at a checklist. It should also help clarify whether ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or language concerns are part of the picture.

You’ll Leave With Answers That Make Sense

This process helps you understand what diagnosis fits, what support your child needs, and what steps to take next. →

Does my child have autism? You’ll get diagnostic clarity based on clinical judgment, standardized tools, and developmental history.
How does autism show up here? You’ll learn how social communication, behavior, and sensory patterns affect your child specifically.
What strengths stand out most? You’ll understand your child’s areas of ability, deep interest, honesty, and other strengths alongside challenges.
What support level fits my child? We explain what type of support may help at home, at school, and socially.
Could something else be going on too? We look at ADHD, anxiety, language issues, and learning differences that may overlap.
What should our school understand now? You’ll receive guidance that can support accommodations, services, and classroom planning.
How do I explain this to my child? You’ll get strengths-based guidance for talking about autism in a supportive, age-appropriate way.
What happens after the evaluation? You’ll leave with clearer next steps instead of more confusion or guesswork.

Who This Evaluation Helps

Ages: 1-25 years old
This evaluation helps toddlers, children, teens, and young adults when social communication, sensory differences, repetitive behaviors, or rigid patterns raise concern for autism. When you come in for autism testing in Overland Park, we can adapt our evaluations to any age, meaning we may identify early signs in children as young as toddlers.

You're in the right place if:

Social communication feels different
Routines must stay predictable
Sensory sensitivities affect daily life
Focused interests dominate conversations
Friendships are hard to build
Teachers report social concerns
Eye contact is limited
Back-and-forth conversation feels hard
You need clearer answers

You might need a different evaluation if:

Attention and focus concerns happen without social communication differences
Reading, writing, or math struggles lead the concern more clearly
Defiance, aggression, or mood symptoms are the main issues

Not sure?

Complete the Screening Tool

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What the Process Looks Like

What to Expect

Step 1: Initial Consultation
We meet to talk through developmental milestones, communication, social interaction, sensory differences, and any patterns you’ve been noticing.

Step 2: Information Gathering
Parent forms, autism-specific rating tools, and outside records help us understand the bigger picture before testing begins.

Step 3: Clinical Sessions
Your child completes a structured and play-based assessment tailored to age, communication level, and comfort. We evaluate social communication, flexibility, emotional regulation, and daily functioning.

Step 4: Feedback Session
We’ll review the results together, in plain language, to explain whether your child meets the criteria for autism, and talk through your next steps.

Step 5: Written Report Delivered
Our autism testing in Overland Park gives you a detailed written report that explains the results clearly and provides practical information you can use right away.

Diagnostic summary and interpretation
Description of your child’s autism profile
Recommendations for school and daily support
Therapy or service referrals, if needed
Next steps for follow-up and planning

What You Walk Away With

You’ll leave with clear answers, practical guidance, and a better sense of what to do next.

Better Understanding
You’ll understand how autism shows up in your child’s communication, behavior, sensory profile, and daily life.

Useful Recommendations
You’ll get guidance that can help with routines, school planning, social support, and daily functioning.

Documentation for Services
Your report can support conversations about therapies, school services, and other needed support strategies.

Trusted Referrals
When needed, we can point you toward speech therapy, occupational therapy (OT), developmental supports, and other next-step services.

Why families trust

Dr. Tish Taylor

for their Child's autism testing in Overland Park.

Dr. Tish Taylor has more than 25 years of experience evaluating children with autism and related developmental differences. Her evaluations go beyond surface checklists and use gold-standard tools, including the ADOS-2, to build diagnostic clarity.

She takes a neurodiversity-affirming approach and understands that autism presents differently in every child. That means taking time to understand strengths, communication style, sensory needs, behavior patterns, and any co-occurring concerns that may also need support.

Families trust her evaluations because they are thorough, practical, and easy to apply in real life. You leave with answers you can understand, recommendations you can use, and a clearer path for home, school, and everyday life.

Faq.

How is this different from a developmental screening?

Our autism testing in Overland Park is different from a developmental screening because I use a comprehensive autism evaluation, not a brief screening tool. A screening can tell you whether you need a more thorough follow-up. My evaluation goes much deeper. I use clinical observation, developmental history, standardized tools, and broader assessments to help you understand whether autism fits and what your child needs.

Will testing stress my child out?

Testing usually does not overwhelm children because I structure the process to be engaging, supportive, and adapt the text to their age and communication style. For younger children, parts of the evaluation often feel like play. I also watch comfort closely, allow breaks when needed, and work to create an accepting environment from the start.

Can a verbal or high-achieving child still be autistic?

A verbal or high-achieving child can still be autistic because autism affects far more than academic ability or spoken language. Many children speak fluently or do well in school while still struggling with social communication, flexibility, sensory processing, or interpreting other people. That’s why I look at the whole person and their patterns, not just one ability.

What if my child already has ADHD or anxiety?

ADHD or anxiety can overlap with autism, which is one reason I look carefully at co-occurring conditions during the evaluation. The goal is not to force a single label when more than one issue may be present. I want families to understand what autism is, what may be ADHD or anxiety, and how those concerns can interact.

What is the difference between autism and ADHD?

Autism and ADHD are different because autism centers on social communication differences and restricted or repetitive patterns, while ADHD centers on attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning. At the same time, they can overlap, and that overlap can confuse families. I use our autism testing in Overland Park to clarify which pattern fits best and whether both are present.