Determining whether a child/adolescent meets the criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging, as the ramifications are significant for the individual’s future. ASD, previously referred to as Asperger’s Disorder (as well as Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder), is a neurological disorder in which individuals exhibit social communication deficits and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Accurate identification of developmental difficulties such as ASD is possible with a comprehensive assessment. Questions typically asked and answered by such an assessment include: “My child has several features of ASD, but does that mean that he’s on the spectrum?” or, “My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, but that doesn’t seem to explain the difficulties we’re seeing socially. Could something else be contributing to these difficulties?”.
Autism Spectrum Specific Testing Measures:
- SRS-2 (Social Responsiveness Scale–Second Edition)
- CCC-2 (Children’s Communication Checklist–Second Edition)
- GARS-3 (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale–Third Edition)
- AAA (Adult Asperger Assessment)
- Vineland-3 (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Third Edition)
- ABAS-3 (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–Third Edition)
Click here for more information about our psychological assessment process.
What clients are saying
“Dr. Chad Kraska has been instrumental in our family dynamic through counseling as well as educational and psychological assessments since 2014. Not only have two of our children (teen and preteen) benefited, but we have gained great insight for understanding our children’s strengths and struggles in navigating the increasingly complex day to day responsibilities of growing up and discerning life’s challenges. We wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Kraska and his team and will be forever grateful for all they have done for us.”
“Dr. Kraska is such a phenomenal psychologist! I’ve been seeing him for over two years now and he’s been a true lifeline to making progress in my life. He not only is the one who diagnosed me as being on the Autism Spectrum, but he helped me through figuring out how to be my most authentic self when around other people. If it weren’t for his consistent guidance and ease of conversation, I would still be spending all my time struggling to understand myself. My life is permanently improved due to the expertise and talent Kraska has in talking to people on the Spectrum.”
“Chad Kraska is a phenomenal resource with incredible expertise in so many areas and most specifically girls on the Autism Spectrum. So many girls go undiagnosed and Dr. Kraska is very well-versed and perceptive of the differences that present with these girls. He was the first to suggest ASD for our high-functioning daughter. His insight into my precious girl was the flagpole moment that saved our daughter and our family. I recommend Dr. Kraska to all of my clients for educational testing as well as suspected ASD in our high-functioning girls.”
“Dr. Kraska is everything you would want in a Child Psychologist. We have been more than pleased with him. I recommend him to all my friends and family. He is great at what he does and an asset in our lives.”
“Dr. Kraska is an excellent communicator and attentive to detail. He provides thorough diagnostic evaluations and individualized recommendations to help set his clients up for success.”
“I know Chad to be a person of integrity. He is well trained, experienced and does excellent work. I look forward to referring him clients whenever the need arises.”
“Chad has been a friend and colleague for several years and as such, I had the privilege to watch him work. He was a great resource for me for many things but especially questions related to testing, children and adolescents. While he is very intelligent, he is also very easy to relate to. Simply put, he is an all around excellent therapist.”
Thank you to Amy, Sarah and Stephanie for making my experience here very comfortable in a chaotic time of my life. If you are on the fence about working with this team or their services, I believe it is worth every penny for the clarity and insight they will provide.