Understanding whether you — or your child — are autistic can change how a whole life makes sense. An ASD assessment should be thorough, and it should also be respectful: an assessment at Silm Centre for Mental Health is a process of understanding a person’s strengths, challenges, and needs, not just a search for deficits.
ASD assessments at Silm Centre for Mental Health are offered to children, adolescents, and adults at our North York (Toronto) and Oakville locations.
What the assessment involves
- A thorough structured clinical interview
- A review of available files and records
- Gathering collateral information, when appropriate and applicable (for example, from family members or others who know the person well)
- Psychometric (psychological) testing
What you receive
At the end of the assessment, you receive documentation that outlines the findings and describes recommendations for treatment and/or accommodations for work or school.
People seek ASD assessments for many reasons: to understand themselves or their child better, to make sense of lifelong patterns, or to get documentation that supports accommodations and services. We support assessments for all of these reasons.
The documentation from this assessment can also support disability applications — including the Disability Tax Credit, long-term disability, and ODSP.
Measures we use
The battery differs for children and adults. For children: CEFI and CBRS rating scales (with parent and teacher rating scales as well), the SRS-2, an autism questionnaire (with parent rating scale), WISC-V cognitive testing, WRAML memory measures, the MIGDAS clinical interview, and the ABAS (adaptive functioning). For adults: several rating scales (e.g., CAT-Q, AQ, RAADS, SRS-2), the PAI, MIGDAS clinical interview, adaptive functioning (ABAS), and cognitive/executive functioning (WAIS, and WRAML / WMS).
Who does this assessment
Assessments at Silm Centre for Mental Health are conducted by our assessment team — psychologists working with psychometrists:
Psychologists
Psychometrists
Clinical Associate
Cost and first step
ASD assessments cost $4,000. Costs can vary depending on type of documentation required. The first step is a free initial consultation, where we gather information about what you need and explain the assessment and its cost before you commit to anything.
Our services are offered by registered psychologists (often with the support from psychometrists), which means they are often covered by extended health benefits plans.
If you are wondering about more than one thing — for example, a learning disability and a mental health concern — we can often assess for both together. We will discuss the cost of the combined assessment with you at intake, or later, if we notice during the assessment that something requires further exploration. The cost is generally $500 to $1,000 more than the cost of a single assessment, depending on the scope of the additional assessment — not the cost of both assessments added together. We will never proceed without your consent.
How we approach every assessment
Every assessment at Silm Centre for Mental Health is person-centred and trauma-informed. Where records are available, we review them; with your consent, we also gather collateral information from people who know you well. And we are always screening beyond the original question: an assessment here does not simply answer yes or no — it looks for the best explanation for a person’s symptoms and patterns, which is sometimes a different explanation than the one expected. When that happens, we may ask your consent to broaden the scope of the assessment, so the answer you get is the right one.
Common questions
How long does the whole process take?
Once you reach out to us, we aim to have your intake completed within one to two weeks, and your first testing appointment scheduled two to three weeks after that. Testing is usually done in longer sessions, and we aim to complete it within one to three appointments. After testing, we aim to have your report ready within three to four weeks — so from first contact to final report, the process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. Assessments can be completed virtually, in person at our North York or Oakville offices, or a combination of both; where possible, we prefer to meet in person for at least part of the assessment, because it gives us observational information that strengthens the report. We have no waitlist, and evening and weekend appointments are available.
Do you assess adults for autism?
Yes — children, adolescents, and adults, including adults who were never assessed as children and have spent years wondering.
Why does the assessment involve other people who know me/my child?
With your consent, collateral information — how others who know you well see things — helps build a fuller, more accurate picture across settings and across the lifespan.
What happens after a diagnosis?
The documentation includes recommendations, which can support accommodations at school or work and help you decide what supports, if any, you want next.
I did well in high school. Can I still be autistic?
Yes. Academic success does not rule out autism. School is structured and predictable, and strong academic ability can sit alongside real difficulty with social communication, sensory processing, and change. Many autistic adults were missed as children precisely because they were doing well on paper. An assessment considers your developmental history and how you function across contexts, not grades alone.
What is high masking?
Masking (or camouflaging) is the effort of concealing your differences to fit in: rehearsing social scripts, forcing eye contact, suppressing self-soothing movements, copying the people around you. People who mask heavily are often missed for years because they appear to be coping — the cost is paid privately, in exhaustion, anxiety, and burnout. It’s one reason an assessment looks at your history and inner experience, not only how you present in the room.
Book a free initial consultation: fill out our initial consultation form, or book an intake with one of our psychologists. You can also reach us at (416) 384-1111 · admin@silmmentalhealth.com