Clinical Assessment Visits
Understanding Your Child’s Development, One Playful Step at a Time
At the Marcus Autism Center, our clinical assessments are designed to provide valuable insights into your child's development and help us better understand early autism symptomatology.
These visits, scheduled throughout your child’s first three years, include a series of age-appropriate tasks and interactive activities aimed at observing social, communication, and cognitive skills. During these visits, your child will engage in fun, play-based assessments that are led by experienced clinicians. We take great care to make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for both you and your child. Your participation helps us advance our research and develop better methods for early diagnosis and intervention.
Visit Location
Research visits for clinical assessments will take place at Marcus Autism Center located at:
When you and your family arrive, you can stop by the front desk in the lobby to let the team know you are here for a study visit. Once checked in, you will be directed to the second floor, where you should check in with the desk. Then a member of the research team will come to greet you!
Parking for Study Visits
Free parking is available to you and your family on your immediate right after passing the official "Marcus Autism Center" sign from Briarcliff Rd. Spaces for expecting parents or designated handicapped spots will be available closest to the building entrance.
Meet Our Team of Clinicians
Our team of expert clinicians will be working closely with your baby or toddler throughout their time in the study. They will lead a variety of fun, play-based assessments to observe your child’s social, communication, and developmental milestones. Think of them as your child’s "playtime partners"—they’ll make sure your little one is comfortable, engaged, and having a great time while helping us gather important research data.
Our clinicians specialize in creating a welcoming, enjoyable experience that helps your child show off their unique skills in a relaxed, stress-free setting. With their help, we aim to make each visit as enjoyable as possible for both you and your child!
Meet Our Team
Dr. Cheryl Klaiman
Dr. Tanisha Clark
Moira Pileggi, SLP
Dr. Meena Lambha
Dr. Liz Greenfield
Natalie Brane, SLP
Dr. Meena Khowaja
Dr. Chloe Holbrook
Kadie Ulven, SLP
Comprehensive Assessments at Key Developmental Milestones
What Are the Different Assessments and Why Are They Important?
Throughout your child’s participation in the study, they will engage in various assessments designed to help us understand their unique developmental journey. These assessments focus on key areas like language, social communication, and overall growth. We’ve broken down the assessments by age so you can know what to expect at each visit, and how we’re supporting your child’s development along the way:
12 months
12 Months – The First Check-In (About 1 Hour)
At this visit, your child will have a session with a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The assessments at this age will focus on:
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Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS): This is a tool that helps us understand how your baby is using social communication, like gestures, sounds, and facial expressions. It’s a way for us to see how your baby is starting to connect with others.
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Mullen Scales of Early Learning: This assessment looks at your child’s overall development, including motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and early learning. It helps us track how your child is developing in different areas.
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Eye-Tracking: We will observe how your child perceives the world around them by having them watch short video clips of social scenes while their eye movements are tracked.
16 months
16 Months – Keeping Track of Progress (About 1.5 Hours)
At this visit, your baby will see the SLP again, and we will check in on:
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CSBS: We’ll revisit how your baby is using communication through gestures, sounds, and social interaction.
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Eye-Tracking: We’ll also check where your baby looks during short video clips, helping us understand how they are responding to visual and social cues.
21 months
21 Months – A Deeper Look (About 3 Hours)
At 21 months, we combine assessments from the SLP and Psychologist (who can help us understand if your child may show signs of autism). We will focus on:
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CSBS & Mullen: We’ll continue checking on communication and development to see how your child’s skills are progressing.
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ADOS-2: This is a fun, play-based activity where we observe your child’s social skills, such as how they engage with people and toys. It helps us understand your child’s ability to interact and communicate in social situations.
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Eye-Tracking: We’ll also check how your child is responding to the screen, tracking their attention during the videos.
30 months
30 Months – A Comprehensive Review (3 Hours)
At this visit, your child will see both the SLP and Clinician again, and we’ll take a detailed look at:
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Pre-School Language Scale 5th edition (PLS-5): This assessment looks at your child’s ability to understand and use language, helping us track their growth in speaking and understanding words.
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Mullen: We’ll again measure your child’s overall developmental abilities across several areas, including motor skills and learning.
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Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2nd Edition (ADOS-2): Another fun, play-based assessment to look closely at how your child interacts socially with others.
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Vineland-3: This is a parent interview where we ask you about how your child is doing in everyday activities, like eating, dressing, and playing. It helps us understand how they’re managing at home.
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Eye-Tracking: As before, we’ll continue tracking your child’s visual attention during video clips to see how they respond to social and visual stimuli.
Why These Assessments Matter
Each of these assessments provides valuable insights into your child's social, language, and overall development. Some assessments focus on how your child communicates and engages with others (like the CSBS, ADOS, and Vineland), while others explore their abilities to understand and use language as well as their thinking and motor skills (like the PLS-5 and Mullen). By tracking your child's progress over time, we can better understand their individual growth and identify the best ways to support them in reaching their full potential.
Collaboration with You
As a caregiver, you know your child better than anyone else. Your perspective on your child’s behavior, preferences, and everyday routines is crucial in helping us understand their development in a holistic way.
We believe that collaboration between parents and researchers is key to gaining a complete picture of your child's growth. By sharing your thoughts and observations, you’re adding an essential layer to the data we collect, ensuring that we account for the many factors that contribute to your child’s unique developmental path. Your active involvement makes this research more meaningful and helps ensure we’re supporting your child’s development in the most effective way possible.
Frequently asked questions
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Frequently Asked Questions