Our Clinical Genetic Services

Doctors at NYU Langone’s Clinical Genetic Services provide the most advanced, compassionate care for people interested in all types of genetic counseling and testing.

We offer medical genetics evaluations that can identify and guide treatment of childhood and adult disorders, whether or not they are hereditary

If you have been referred for genetic evaluation, you may have questions about the appointment and what tests you may have to take. Our goal is to provide you with an exact diagnosis.

We share with you whatever is known about the condition, the cause or pattern of how it is inherited, and the course of the condition. We advise you on treatment options, including preventive measures and testing recommendations, and offer you information about support groups and educational opportunities to learn more about the condition.

We may provide you with ongoing care or refer you to another specialist. We provide your referring physician with a detailed letter from our team summarizing your evaluation. Your records and diagnosis are not released to anyone else, nor are they discussed with an individual or group unless you give us specific permission in writing. That includes other family members, professionals from other institutions, and insurance companies.

We encourage you to discuss anything that relates to your experience of having a child with a specific condition, your concern about having a hereditary condition yourself, or anything else that may help you feel more comfortable about your particular situation. 

Genetics Evaluation

You may have been referred to us for a genetic evaluation for a number of reasons, including:

• Your child may have been born with a physical problem and the cause must be determined.
• Your child may not be developing either physically or mentally as expected for his or her age.
• You may have a condition that is suspected of being hereditary, or you may have a history of a hereditary condition in your family and want to know about its nature, the possibility for treatment, and the risk to other family members.

Some evaluations can be completed in one session; some may require two or more. The entire evaluation may take anywhere from one day to several months. The number of sessions depends on the type of problem and the complexity of the evaluation. 

Your initial session can be expected to last one to two hours and subsequent visits are usually shorter. We also offer sessions for clinical genetic evaluations and genetic counseling at NYU Langone’s Center for Children.

We start your genetic evaluation by getting a detailed family health and medical history and, if appropriate, perform a physical examination. For some patients, it may be important to examine other family members as well. We may recommend tests such as blood analyses and X-rays—though not all patients require tests—and a consultation with other specialists for the most thorough evaluation. 

Our program is in-network with many medical insurance plans, so please ask when you make your appointment. Most medical insurance plans cover genetic testing, but call your provider to make sure. We are able to get preauthorization for genetic testing under most circumstances—we do not begin testing until we’ve verified that it is covered by your insurance provider.