InBloom Autism Services Now Providing Free Diagnostic Evaluations for Autism in Colorado

InBloom Autism Services announced recently that they are now offering complimentary diagnostic evaluations to identify Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children between the ages of 18-months and 5-years-old in Denver and Colorado Springs. Included in the diagnostic evaluation is the ADOS-2 instrument, which is considered to be the current gold standard of diagnostic evaluation tools and will be administered as part of a comprehensive evaluation performed by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lindsey O’Laughlin, Ph.D., at the organization’s various Learning Center locations in Denver and Colorado Springs.

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and has many different signs and symptoms that can look different in every person. Children with ASD may vary widely in their presentations, but InBloom’s comprehensive diagnostic evaluations are designed to be able to accurately assess and identify ASD across age, developmental level, and language skills, said Dr. O’Laughlin.

“InBloom is different from some other providers because the diagnostic evaluation is specifically for Autism Spectrum Disorder,” explains Dr. O’Laughlin. “When a family meets with a licensed psychologist at that initial appointment they talk about their main concerns as well as the administration of a play-based assessment, which is given. Then the next appointment is specifically for a comprehensive developmental interview with the psychologist. In the final appointment of the evaluation process, the family meets with the psychologist to go through the results of the evaluation in determining whether their child does meet those criteria for autism.”

InBloom Autism Services initially began offering diagnostic evaluations for ASD back in January of 2020, but the impact of COVID-19 made it challenging for providers and families to coordinate comprehensive in-person evaluations on a regular basis. InBloom has since made investments to expand its ability to connect with families currently seeking or waiting for an evaluation from a clinical psychologist, including opening additional Learning Center locations throughout the state.

“I think there is a massive difference with InBloom in terms of clinical integrity and I think the diagnostic processes is the first pinpoint that kind of isolates differences in the services that we provide,” said InBloom’s Regional Director of Operations Kayde Keinz. “The waitlist for those evaluations can sometimes be a year or year and a half, and many insurance providers will not continue to authorize treatment while the families are awaiting those diagnostic evaluations. So, I think having the availability to receive that diagnosis or undergo that evaluation is hugely beneficial for a family especially when it is not at a significant cost to them.”

Diagnostic evaluations at InBloom are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified families, and Keinz explained that they currently have as little as a four to six-week wait for an evaluation. Pediatricians looking to refer their patients, or caregivers looking to obtain an evaluation for their child can call 888-754-0398 to connect with InBloom’s Care Team or visit inbloomautism.com/diagnosing to inquire more. For more information on InBloom’s six Learning Center locations throughout the state, visit inbloomautism.com/colorado.