Autism & ND Assessment
Understanding Neurodevelopment with Care
Wondering if autism, social communication differences, or another neurodevelopmental condition explains what you or your child are experiencing? At CPC Clinics in Calgary, we provide calm, evidence-based ASD and neurodevelopmental assessments that help you move from “something feels off” to clearer language, next steps, and realistic support at home, school, and work.
An autism and neurodevelopmental assessment at CPC Clinics brings together observation, history, and testing so you are not relying on a single appointment or one checklist. Instead, you receive a practical, strengths-informed picture of how traits show up across daily life.
Comprehensive intake & goals
Comprehensive intake & goals: Your psychologist begins with a detailed clinical interview, reviewing history…
Comprehensive intake & goals: Your psychologist begins with a detailed clinical interview, reviewing history, concerns, previous reports, and your main questions. Together, you clarify what you hope to understand—autism, ADHD overlap, learning needs, burnout, or all of the above—so the assessment plan is targeted, efficient, and grounded in your real-world experiences. (Canadian Paediatric Society)
Autism-specific tools
Autism-specific tools: Standardized autism measures such as ADOS-2 and developmental interviews…
Autism-specific tools: Standardized autism measures such as ADOS-2 and developmental interviews based on tools like ADI-R provide a structured way to observe social communication, flexibility, play, and restricted or repetitive behaviours across age and language levels. Used together, they help clarify whether ASD best explains the overall pattern, in line with current best-practice guidelines. (PMC)
Adaptive behaviour measures
Adaptive behaviour measures: Vineland-style adaptive scales look at everyday skills—communication, self-care…
Adaptive behaviour measures: Vineland-style adaptive scales look at everyday skills—communication, self-care, socialization, and community participation—so the assessment reflects how things actually feel at home, school, and work. These measures are widely used to support diagnosis of developmental disabilities and autism and to plan practical interventions and supports. (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab)
Cognitive testing
Cognitive testing (when indicated): When helpful, cognitive tools such as WISC or WAIS clarify attention…
Cognitive testing (when indicated): When helpful, cognitive tools such as WISC or WAIS clarify attention, memory, processing speed, and verbal and visual reasoning. This is particularly useful when there are questions about ADHD, learning differences, giftedness, or uneven abilities, and it allows us to connect findings directly to how you learn, study, work, and manage complex tasks. (Department of Developmental Services)
Screening for co-occurring conditions
Screening for co-occurring conditions: Structured questionnaires and clinical interviews assess common…
Screening for co-occurring conditions: Structured questionnaires and clinical interviews assess common overlaps with autism, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Understanding this mix helps prevent missed diagnoses or over-focusing on just one label, and it supports more accurate planning for therapy, school supports, and workplace accommodations. (PMC)
Strength-based report & feedback session
Strength-based report & feedback session: After scoring and interpretation, you receive a plain-language…
Strength-based report & feedback session: After scoring and interpretation, you receive a plain-language report summarizing findings, any diagnoses, and recommendations. In a feedback appointment, your psychologist walks you through results, answers questions, and helps you decide how to share the report with schools, disability services, or HR teams if you choose. (University Health Network)
How Comprehensive Assessment Guides Your Next Steps
We use evidence-based tools to understand your neurodevelopmental strengths, challenges, and patterns. This assessment helps you gain clarity, access the right supports, and take practical next steps with confidence.
1. Autism Observation
Autism-specific observation, often using tools such as the ADOS-2, is a semi-structured, play- and conversation-based assessment…read more
2. Developmental History
Developmental history interviews—through caregivers for children or adapted self-history for adults—explore early milestones, play…read more
3. Adaptive Functioning
Adaptive behaviour measures examine how you manage everyday tasks across communication, daily living, socialization, and sometimes…read more
4. Cognitive Profile
When indicated, cognitive testing explores areas such as verbal comprehension, visual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed… read more
5. Integrated Formulation
Once all data are collected, your psychologist integrates observation, developmental history, adaptive functioning, cognitive results, and… read more
Meet Our Neurodevelopmental Assessor
Flexible & Accessible Counselling Options :
We’re committed to making couples counselling convenient, transparent, and accessible—whether you’re in Calgary or anywhere across Alberta.
Autism & Neurodevelopment Assessment
$1580-$1820
Insurance billing available under specific conditions
In-person sessions available in Calgary
Let’s find a time and format that works best for you.
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Discover how CPC Clinics helps individuals manage anxiety by addressing its deeper causes—like chronic stress, overthinking, and unresolved tension. This blog explores how anxious patterns form and how personalized therapy can break cycles of rumination, calm the mind, and restore emotional balance.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Ans : Some autism diagnoses can be reliable by around age 2 when standardized tools, direct observation, and developmental history are used together by experienced clinicians. (PMC) However, timing depends on how traits show up, co-occurring conditions, and the referral questions. Early identification can support earlier accommodations and skills support, but assessment remains helpful later in life, including for teens and adults who may have masked for years.
Ans : ADOS-2 is a widely used, research-supported observational tool and is often part of a comprehensive autism assessment. (Children's Resource Group) However, best practice is not to use it alone. Clinicians combine ADOS-2 with developmental history, adaptive behaviour measures, questionnaires, and clinical judgement to make a diagnosis that reflects the whole person, not just one test.
Ans : In Alberta, ASD is typically diagnosed by psychologists or physicians with autism expertise using DSM-5 criteria, standardized tools, and a thorough clinical evaluation, often within a broader team or clinic context. (Canadian Paediatric Society) Assessments at CPC Clinics are completed by Registered Psychologists, and our reports are usually suitable for school, post-secondary, and workplace accommodation processes, depending on each organization’s policies.
Ans : With your consent, we can share key recommendations, provide letters, and help translate results into practical supports. Reports are written so educators, disability services, and HR teams can understand and implement them—for example, by adjusting sensory load, communication formats, or performance expectations. (University Health Network)
Ans : No. Neurodevelopmental assessments complement, rather than replace, medical care. We focus on cognition, learning, behaviour, and daily functioning, and—when you consent—we share results with your physician or specialist so they can integrate this information into broader health decisions, similar to hospital-based neuropsychology programs. (University Health Network)
Ans : Most assessments involve several appointments over a few weeks, including intake, testing, scoring, report writing, and feedback. The exact timeline depends on complexity, measures used, and scheduling. At intake, we review expected timelines with you and aim to keep the process thorough, efficient, and as low-stress as possible. (PMC)
