Autism and Neurobehavioral Clinic

In young children, the following may be signs of autism:

• Delayed speech or no talking
• Little eye contact
• Not pointing at people or objects
• Not smiling at other people
• Playing with mostly one kind of toy or part of a toy
• Not playing with you or other children

Common signs of autism in adults include:

• Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling
• Getting very anxious about social situations
• Finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own
• Seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to
• Finding it hard to say how you feel
• Taking things very literally – for example, you may not understand sarcasm or phrases like "the early bird gets the worm"
• Having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes

For pediatric patients and adult patients, who have not been formally diagnosed with autism, we require a referral from a doctor or mental health professional who has identified symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism and Neurobehavioral Assessment - Four Visits*

We provide an efficient way for patients and their caregivers to see a range of experts in autism spectrum disorders, including psychologists, developmental pediatricians, speech therapists and other specialists.

1. An initial visit with an autism professional to discuss your concerns and talk about you/your child and family. (1 hour)
2. An assessment of you/your child's intelligence or early thinking skills under the direction of a psychologist. (1 hour)
3. A visit where patients and their families or caregivers meet with a psychologist, speech/language therapist, and/or a doctor who specializes in child development and autism spectrum disorder. (approximately 3 hours)
4. A meeting with the psychologist to review whether they think you/your child has autism or any other conditions. We will put a plan in place and direct you to the right services for you/your child. (1 hour)
   
   *Additional visits may be set up to meet the needs of you/your child.

Our Services

The mission of the MetroHealth Autism and Neurobehavioral Clinic is to provide direct clinical services, professional training, and research to advocate for and promote culturally sensitive, evidence-based health care for patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. 

Our physicians and staff provide a safe and supportive space for patients to receive treatment. Our team has experience working with patients, families and caregivers from different cultures, and we take into consideration your background when putting together approaches to treatment.

Examples of our services include:

• Hispanic assessments for children who speak Spanish in the home and are ages 18 months to 18 years. All providers in the clinic speak Spanish.
• Experience working with refugees, victims of childhood trauma and other sensitive cases.
• School age clinic for children ages 6 years to 18 years old who have not had a diagnosis of autism by a doctor.
• Developmental assessments for children age 18 months to 5 years old.
• Adult autism assessments for adults who are concerned they are autistic (with doctor's referral).
• Short term services with a social worker if needed to find the right resources.

To learn more, call 440-592-3740.

Resources

Find tips and tricks for setting up a virtual classroom for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Download the virtual classroom guide

Location

MetroHealth Autism and Neurobehavioral Clinic is located at:

Parma Medical Center
12301 Snow Road
Parma, Ohio 44130

Providers

Appointments

Ask your doctor to make a referral to MetroHealth Child Psychology, Speech Therapy and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics

After the referral is made, call 440-592-3740 and ask for an autism assessment.

Views stated in this program are those of the clinicians only and are not attributed to the sponsors, the Ohio Department of Medicaid or to the Federal Medicaid Program.