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The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD) is a multidisciplinary team comprised of pediatric autism specialists, including clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, social workers and speech/language pathologists. These experts work together to provide the best possible care for autistic youth, and lead research to understand the underpinnings of autism and effective approaches to maximize autistic youth outcomes.
CASD, along with many other autism centers nationwide, is struggling to meet our community’s evaluation needs. We currently have waitlists that exceed two years for many services and have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our evaluation waitlists. At this time, we are only able to accept referrals for patients requiring evaluation related to gender and autism care needs or young children (children below 48 months) with autism concerns requiring initial diagnostic evaluation. This decision was made to help encourage families to seek services elsewhere in the community because we are unable to offer them in a reasonable timeframe. It will also allow our team to work on new models of care that will enable us to support more families in the future.

Autism Evaluation Update

    Effective March 29,2024, the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders is not accepting new requests/intakes for autism evaluation for children 4 years or older. This does not impact our Gender and Autism services (that waitlist is open).

    Our Providers

    Our pediatric specialists provide personalized care for your child’s physical, mental and emotional health needs.

    Contact Information

    For appointments, please call 1-888-884-BEAR (2327) and for information, call 301-765-5430.

    The Region’s Largest Autism Program

    CASD is the largest multidisciplinary pediatric autism program in the Washington, D.C., region. Our specialists understand the unique needs of children as their brains and bodies develop. We offer:

    • Evidence-based clinical care. Our experts lead national research studies on ASD with the goal of advancing assessment and treatment options. By studying autism’s genetic, neurocognitive, behavioral and social factors, we can identify and apply the most effective treatments for your child.
    • Education, support and advocacy. We provide the latest information about ASD to everyone from families and patients to school personnel, physicians and agencies. Resources include seminars, workshops, the CASD Chat newsletter, training and consultations. Sign up to be added to our CASD Chat newsletter mailing list. You can also view details about upcoming Executive Function and Social Skills groups and learn about ECHO Autism for providers.

    What is autism spectrum disorder?

    Understanding your child's condition is an important step on your treatment journey. Learn more about diagnosis and care for autism spectrum disorder in children.

    Fill Out Our Intake Form

    If you would like to request services or assessment from the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, please fill out our patient form.

    Make an Impact

    Private support plays an important role in furthering our ability to provide the best care to our patients and families. To learn about how you can make a direct, philanthropic impact on the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, please contact the Children’s National Hospital Foundation.

    Our Mission

    CASD's mission is to excel in care, advocacy, research and education. We accomplish this by:

    • Providing a quality healthcare experience for our patients and families through a coordinated program of state-of the-art clinical services
    • Improving health outcomes for children regionally, nationally and internationally by educating the next generation of clinicians in best practices for autism evaluation, diagnosis and treatment
    • Creating innovative solutions to pediatric health challenges by conducting research that includes and reflects the neuro-diverse population we serve
    • Embracing neurodiversity and welcoming autistic individuals as collaborators, research trainees, students and staff members

    CASD works every day to optimize trajectories for autistic youth with the goal of successful transition into adulthood. Our Stakeholder Advisory Board, comprised of parents whose children have received assistance from CASD, provides recommendations to CASD faculty and staff to improve care, research, education and advocacy efforts.

    Fee Information

    Services provided by the Children’s National Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders may be covered in full or in part by commercial insurance, managed care or medical assistance, depending on the contractual specifications. Self-pay is accepted and payment plans may be arranged.

    Research

    If you are interested in participating in one of our research studies, email us.

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    Sign-Up for CASD Chat, Our Monthly Newsletter

    Check out our CASD Chat newsletters, where we provide tips, events and autism research highlights that can be helpful for you and your family.

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    Improving Outcomes for Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Our team focuses on the strengths of all children with autism spectrum disorders to help them lead successful and healthy lives.

    Talking to Your Child About Autism

    Angela Bollich, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist at Children's National Hospital, discusses how to talk to your child about autism.

    Featured Resources

    Family Resources

    In addition to any resources your provider may give you, our online resources can also support your ongoing treatment journey.

    Provider Resources

    The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders hosts ECHO Autism, a virtual learning network for providers to access a hub of autism specialists as they work to diagnose, treat and care for ASD children and their families.