Diagnostic Sources

In the NYC area
We’ve been sending people without regret to Dr. Richard Perry (212.595.0116) for years. Dr. Perry 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.

In Long Island
Shana Nichols, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Director, ASPIRE Center for Learning and Development
Provides child, youth, teen, adult, couples and family therapy, social skills programming, parent groups, and consultation. Adult diagnostic evaluation clinic. Areas of practice: anxiety, depression, executive function difficulties, behavioral issues, adolescent and transition issues, sexuality, 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

Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System. Provides child, youth, teen, adult, and family therapy, social skills programming, parent groups, and consultation. Areas of practice: anxiety, depression, executive function difficulties, behavioral issues, adolescent and transition issues, sexuality, self-understanding and self-advocacy
Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism
North Shore-LIJ Health System
4300 Hempstead Turnpike
Bethpage, NY 11714
Phone: 516-802-8600
Fax: 516-802-8655
Website: http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/autism

In the Woodstock, NY area,
The Center for Diagnostic and Consultation Services
For more info, download their flyer here or call the Children's Annex at
845-336-2616.

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

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 Neuromagnetism is 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 Côwen 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 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.

If you are interested in learning more about participating in this study, please contact Jessica Raithel at 212-263-2497 or Jessica.raithel@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!