Welcome to Okotoks Autism Services
At Okotoks Autism Services, Piekenbrock Psychology is proud to offer neuro-affirming assessments for adults, youth, children, and toddlers in a supportive and compassionate environment. We recognize and respect the diverse ways in which brains work, and our assessment process is grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and clinical excellence.
Whether exploring autism, ADHD, learning differences, or other neurodevelopmental profiles, our team works closely with individuals and families to provide meaningful insights and recommendations tailored to each person’s strengths and needs.
At Okotoks Autism Services, we are committed to honouring neurodiversity and empowering every client on their unique journey.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours. Accurate and compassionate diagnosis is essential for early intervention and support.
At Piekenbrock Psychology, gold-star standard tools are used in clinical assessments: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2; Lord et al., 2012), and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R; Rutter, Le Couteur, & Lord, 2003).
The ADOS-2 is a structured, play-based assessment that allows clinicians to observe behaviours relevant to autism across age and developmental levels, while the ADI-R is a comprehensive, semi-structured interview conducted with caregivers to gather a detailed developmental history and symptom profile.
Research consistently supports the reliability and validity of these tools, with studies showing that using both in combination enhances diagnostic accuracy (Gotham et al., 2007; Zander, Sturm, & Bölte, 2015).
Academic, Intellectual, Behavioural and Social Emotional evaluations will also be completed providing comprehensive interventions and strategies to be implemented at school, at home and in the community.
Approximate Timelines for Individual Portions of the Assessment Process
Assessments consist of up to a full day of participation from the client (and caregivers depending on the age and abilities of the client).
The client observation by clinician averages 1-2 hours, academic assessment 1-3 hours, intellectual assessment 1-3 hours, caregiver interview 2-4 hours, adaptive and behavioural questionnaires 1-2 hours.
Total Cost $4500
Private Health Benefits may cover all or a portion of the costs.
Direct billing available for Telus Health and BlueCross