GRASP only lists on its pages Diagnostic Sources and Therapistsclinicians who have been recommended by GRASP members. If you are a clinician who would like to be listed in either or both of these sections, please forward to us recommendations from two GRASP members along with your listing and we will be glad to include you.

Diagnostic Sources

In the NYC area:
We’ve been sending people without regret to Dr. Richard Perry (212.595.0116) for years. Dr. Perry, a psychiatrist who works at both Bellevue Hospital and in private practice, was featured in the now-famous NYTimes Sunday Magazine article from the summer of 2000 called, The Little Professor Syndrome, an article that (pretty much accurately) convinced thousands of tri-state area residents that they had AS, and to seek diagnosis to make certain.

Lynda Geller, PhD, is someone GRASP has worked with since our inception. She has a distinguished history with the Cody Center, SUNY, NYU, and Asperger Foundation International.
At present she is the:
Director of the Institute for Cognitive Diversity
Bank Street College of Education
19 W 34th Street, Penthouse
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 718-406-3848
Email: lynda.geller@aspergercenter.com

Department of Family and Clinical Services at 83 Maiden Lane, 5th floor, NYC is offering FREE psychological evaluations and assessments only to residents of Queens (you'll have to ask them why). For an appointment call Clara Cordero at 212.780.2387.

Programs In the NYC Area that Take Medicaid
There are two programs we are aware of that accept Medicaid:

• The Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities: a comprehensive outpatient assessment and treatment program providing clinical care to individuals across their lifespan. Services include clinical care, research, program consultation, training, community education, resource information, and advocacy. They are located at 189 Wheatley Road, Broookville, NY 11545, 516-686-4440.
• Stony Brook University's Neuropsychology Service: specializing in the examination of the relationships between brain function and behavior in a wide variety of neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. In additional to evaluations, they provide support and recommendations to assist with medical, educational and vocational interventions. Please go their website and read the directions for how to arrange for a consulation.

In Long Island:
ASPIRE Center for Learning and Development
Shana Nichols, PhD, Founder of ASPIRE and Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Samara Pulver Tetenbaum, PhD, Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow

Provides youth, teen, adult, couples and family therapy, group and individual social skills programming, semantic pragmatic language services, parent groups and partner support groups, consultation, and trainings. Adult diagnostic evaluation clinic. Areas of practice: cognitive-behavioral therapy, anxiety, depression, coping skills and stress management, executive function difficulties, behavioral issues, girls and women's issues, puberty and sexuality, adolescence and transition, college supports, self-understanding and self-advocacy.
63 Old East Neck Rd
Melville, NY 11747
Phone: 631-923-0923
Fax: 631-923-0924
Email: aspirecenterforlearning@gmail.com
Website: www.aspirecenterforlearning.com

In the Kingston, NY area,
Center for Spectrum Services
The clinic at the Center for Spectrum Services offers comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for children, adolescents and adults who have known or suspected Autism Spectrum Disorders (autism, Asperger’s or PDD). Evaluations are conducted by experienced clinicians and utilize diagnostic instruments which are considered the “gold standard” in the autism field. These evaluations determine whether a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder is appropriate, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, provide an understanding of intellectual potential, help in the development of a treatment/educational plan, and offer recommendations for effective strategies and support services. Please visit our website at www.centerforspectrumservices.orgfor more details. For additional information or to schedule an appointment please call (845) 336-2616 x 123.

Research Projects:

If a paid evaluation is not possible, there are usually research projects that will give out free diagnosis (and sometimes there’s cash given as well) in exchange for participation in their study. The level of involvement and requirement varies with each study, though.

In the NYC area:

Albert Einstein College of Medicineis recruiting participants aged 6 to 45 years old whom have either been diagnosed with or are strongly suspected of having a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Assessment includes IQ, language, and behavior skills, as well as performing diagnostic measures through the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). There is also an MRI portion of the study.

All participants are compensated for their time in the study. Compensation is $50 for the MRI scan, and $12/hour for any additional time they spend in the lab (i.e.; neuropsychological testing and short experiments). Participants will receive a written report at the completion of their participation.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Dr. Juliana Bates
718.862.1861
juliana.bates@einstein.yu.edu

The Seaver Autism Center at Mt. Sinai Medical Center has several research projects running that provide free diagnostic evaluations for those willing to participate in a research study. The center is dedicated to unraveling the biological causes of autism and related disorders and to developing effective treatment options. The Seaver Center’s interdisciplinary approach includes medication treatment, imaging studies, social skills groups, and clinical care for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Every study requires pre-study diagnostic and cognitive testing lasting an average of 4-5 hours and can be broken up over several visits. Reports are available upon request after study participation is complete. For information, contact at Jessica Zweifach (212) 241-2826 or Sarah Soffes at (212) 241-2993.

• Mt. Sinai / Seaver foundation is currently running one study using MRI neuroimaging to examine the biology of the brain.
  The study involves the same scan and task done twice with an infusion of Oxytocin before the second scan. The day of the scan lasts 6 hours. Participants are compensated $200.

• A study funded by NAAR/Autism Speaks evaluating motor functioning and mechanisms underlying motor skills in autism spectrum disorders. 2 visits, lasting an average total of 4 hours, are required to complete neuropsychological motor and cognitive testing and a neurological exam evaluating basic motor functioning. Participants will be compensated a total of $100 and can be provided with testing results upon request.

• A study in collaboration with Columbia University examining serotonin receptors in the brain using neuroimaging. This study involves 1 full day of scans: 1 MRI scan and 2 PET scans. Participants are compensated a total of $350 ($50 for MRI scan; $150 per PET scan).
  Divalproex Sodium ER Study (Ages: 18-65)

• The Laboratory of Neuroimaging at Mount Sinai, along with the Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence, is dedicated to studying the underlying neural mechanisms and causes of Autism and related disorders, for the advancement of knowledge in the field as well as possibilities for effective treatments. We are currently recruiting participants for a MRI study to examine areas of the brain that are associated with Autism. The study requires about 5 visits to Mount Sinai, for approximately 2-3 hours per visit. They are looking for male adults over 18 years of age with Autism or Asperger’s. You may qualify for a no-cost evaluation and will also be compensated $100 upon completion of the study. For further information, please contact: Yunsoo Park at 212-241-7641.
• Empathic Accuracy Study (HC and ASD) examines how people with ASD use different types of information in a social context to understand what other people are feeling. In the Empathic Accuracy test, while undergoing a functional MRI (fMRI) scan, people attempt to identify the emotions of people in videos. The Mirror Neuron System and the Reward System are also examined in separate tasks during the fMRI scan. Involves one 90 minute scan (HC) or three 90 minute scans (ASD) (aside from full assessment). Participants will be compensated $125 at completion of the study.

The NYU Center for Neuromagnetismis studying if magneto-encephalography (MEG) can help them better understand the role of the brain in autism. MEG is a new technology that measures the very faint magnetic fields that emanate from the head as a result of brain activity. There are two phases to the study:

• Phase 1: Sandlin Lowe, MD, a member of our Psychiatry Department, will clinically diagnose the participants and determine their ratings on the Autism Spectrum Quotient, Empathy Quotient, and Systemizing Quotient - Revised. They will then participate in our standard MEG measurement of spontaneous brain activity. This takes about 20 minutes. In addition, of course, the participants will read and sign an informed consent and provide some general information for our records. Reimbursement will be $50.

• For phase 2 (optional), a subset of the above participants will be invited to return for the study of face perception. During the second visit, we will record MEG scans while the person looks at faces and answers questions about the images. This session will take from two to three hours (depending on the frequency and duration of breaks). Reimbursement will be $150.

You can download the PDF brochure for the NYU study here.

Also . . .

The NYU Child Study Center Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience is running a study called Connectivity of Brain Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorders. This study is an effort to examine the functional communications between brain areas (known as functional connectivity) in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Functional connectivity is thought to be at the very basis of social, communication, and sensory integration processes that are impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

They are recruiting both children and adults for two different studies:

• Individuals who are between 18 and 55 years old with a diagnosed or suspected autism spectrum disorder:  The study consists of a no-cost diagnostic evaluation that will take approximately 5 hours and an fMRI scan that will take approximately 1 hour. Upon completion of the study, you will receive a written report by a specialist in autism spectrum disorders summarizing the results of the evaluation visit.  You will receive monetary compensation for your participation: $100 total ($40 for the evaluation visit and $60 for the MRI scan), as well as pictures of your brain. In addition, you will be invited to a quarterly social gathering of other participants and study staff for fun and entertainment at no cost to you.
• Children between the ages of 7 and 17 years old with a diagnosed or suspected autism spectrum disorder: The study consists of a no-cost diagnostic evaluation and an fMRI scan. Upon completion of the study, you will receive a written report summarizing the results of the evaluation visit.  

If you are interested in learning more about participating in either of these studies, please contact Kritika Nayar at 212-263-2497 or kn622@nyumc.org.

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Please note that GRASP carefully screens all research proposals that we post on our website. If you participate in any of these projects and have a negative expereince PLEASE LET US KNOW!