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, and Asperger Foundation International.
At present she is the
Clinical Director
Asperger Institute
NYU Child Study Center
Phone 212.652.1952
email: lynda.geller@med.nyu.edu

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.

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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
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.

The study at NYU’s Center for Brain Health has sadly closed, however, the Seaver Center for Autism at Mt. Sinai Medical Center has many programs up and running again that not only provide free diaagnosis, they pay YOU. For information on any of the below listed programs, contact Dr. Latha Soorya at 212.241.7250.

Some of you who experienced difficulty with similar programs of theirs a few years ago. In my opinion, these won't happen again. GRASP likes this new group very much. They seem good folk, and the talks we've had have been frank, respectful, honest, and productive.

However, in order to participate, you must have at least one parent that is still alive.

There are many good programs one can participate in (they are all listed below). The only one that GRASP would highly caution against is the Divalproex Sodium ER Study. The compensation is less, and more importantly, you'd be ingesting divalproex sodium ER (Depakote ER) perhaps against your body's better wisdom. The Seaver Center has agreed that if you participate in other studies, that you are not obliged to take part in any other studies-especially this one. This study might very well suit you, but in the event it does not, you are by no means obligated in any way to take part. You can take part in the studies you have chosen for yourself, and that's all you have to do. Any unwanted pressure to take part? Please let GRASP know.

The rest? Good stuff, with fair compensation distributed in a way that most studies do not offer. Your time is worth something, and we are grateful to the Seaver Center for showing this where it matters. And we therefore wish them all the success in the world with their endeavors.

We give them our thanks as well. Diagnosis is expensive; and many of our members do not have the means at their disposal to pay for what on average costs anywhere between 700-3000 dollars. For those with the means seeking diagnosis who do not wish to take part in a research project, we have the best diagnosticians in town listed on our website along with their contact info. For those who don't, there's now an option. Now, on with the programs...

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The Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence is one of eight Centers of Excellence awarded a grant by the National Institute of Health to promote research in autism spectrum disorders. 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 and imaging studies (listed below), 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 participation in a study.
fMRI Studies in Autism (Ages: 18-50)

Three Mt. Sinai / Seaver foundation funded studies using MRI neuroimaging to examine the biology of the brain.
1) The first study, lasting 1.5 hours, requires the participant to identify a series of
happy and sad faces during the fMRI scan. Participants are compensated $100.
2) The second 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.
3) A two hour fMRI study, examining attention skills. Participants are compensated $100. (age range 21-50)
Intranasal Oxytocin (Ages: 18-60)

A Mt. Sinai funded, placebo-controlled, 6-week study that assesses the effects of oxytocin on social functioning and repetitive behaviors. Involves bi-weekly 1.5 hour visits to monitor medication effects. Participants will be compensated $25 per visit ($100 total).
Adult Motor Skills (Ages: 18-40)

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.

CANTAB (Ages: 12+)
A Mt. Sinai funded study that examines executive processing of the brain through a 3.5 hour computerized test comprised of various memory and planning tasks. Participants will be compensated $50. Imaging the Serotonin System in Adult Subjects with Asperger’s Disorder and Controls (Ages: 18-40)

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)

A 12-week open label treatment study funded by Abbott Laboratories examining the effectiveness of divalproex sodium ER (Depakote ER) in targeting irritability and aggression. Study requires biweekly visits to monitor medication effects. Participants will be compensated $25 per visit.

Family/Caregiver Strain
A study involving questionnaires and focus groups for family members/caregivers with teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder is currently in preparation. Additional information on the commitments, compensation, etc. will be provided in late Spring 2007.