Autism Spectrum Disorder Service

Children with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions benefit from treatment that is focused on addressing each child’s unique challenges and developing strategies that help them both at home and at school.

 

Schedule an Appointment

Setting up an intake phone call is the first step to accessing care with a Child Study Center provider.

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Dr. Yamalis Diaz and Dr. Alan Schlechter

Dr. Yamalis Diaz and Dr. Alan Schlechter discuss treatment at the Child Study Center.

At the Child Study Center, our team works with children as young as 12 months of age who have difficulty with social interaction and communication or who have repetitive behaviors or fixations on particular topics or activities. Our care continues through childhood and into adulthood.

Our specialized services for children, adolescents, and adults include:

  • diagnostic, psychiatric, and neuropsychological assessments
  • behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy
  • social skills groups
  • parent training and sibling support
  • school consultation
  • service navigation and educational and transition planning
  • functional behavior assessments and behavior plans

As part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, we can also connect your child with other pediatric care, including developmental pediatrics, neurology, genetics, gastroenterology, and rehabilitation, as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech–language pathology.

Autism Evaluation and Consultation

When you bring your child to the Child Study Center, our experts provide diagnostic, psychiatric, and neuropsychological evaluations to determine your child’s individual challenges. We use the results of these evaluations to create a treatment plan for your child and family.

Autism Treatment

We specialize in using cognitive behavioral therapy to treat children and young adults who have complex concerns, including co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, obsessive–compulsive disorder, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Medication evaluation and treatment are available.

We also offer group-based therapies through our PEERS Social Skills Program, which helps children learn how to make friends, handle social interactions, and manage anxiety. In addition, we provide guidance for parenting a child who has autism.

Family and Community Education

We offer the following programs to help parents and the community learn more about autism.

A Skills Group for Teens with Autism and Their Caregivers

Dates: Mondays
Time: 5:30–7:00PM

The Autism Spectrum Disorder Service invites teens with autism, ages 13 to 18, and their caregivers to attend a skills group to promote mindful self-awareness, effective communication, problem solving, and emotion regulation. Our group leaders use an approach informed by dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to teach skills, including distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, “walking the middle path,” and mindfulness.

Our skills group uses methods to support the learning style of teens with autism. Parents and teens participate in group together, preparing them with skills that can be applied in real-life situations.

Here’s what else to know before signing up:

  • The caregiver and teen’s consistent participation in the skills group is required.
  • Participants must have an individual therapist with whom they meet regularly in addition to participating in group sessions
  • The skills group is not a full DBT program.

Cost: There is a $220 per-session fee for group sessions and $120 supply fee. Patients who are new to the Child Study Center pay an intake fee of $425 for one session; they pay an intake fee of $850 for two sessions.

For more information, please email us at CSC.ASDPrograms@NYULangone.org.

Group for Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dates: Tuesdays
Time: 5:30–6:30PM

Being a sibling of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) brings unique challenges. Through this eight-week group, siblings ages 8 to 12 learn about ASD, have the opportunity to discuss their experience of being a sibling of a child with autism. They work to identify their own emotions, learn strategies to handle challenging situations, and focus on their own positive attributes.

Based on participants’ availability, this group program will be held at the Child Study Center or virtually. Siblings attend six group sessions. Caregivers attend two group sessions to learn how to further support siblings of children with ASD.

Cost: Group sessions are $1,400 for eight session or $175 per session. There is a $175 intake consultation.

For more information, please email us at CSC.ASDPrograms@NYULangone.org.

MYmind: A Joint Mindfulness Group for Neurodiverse Children and Their Caregivers

Dates: Thursdays
Time: 5:00–6:30PM

MYmind is an evidence-based group program developed specifically for children with autism or other neurodivergencies and their caregivers. Through this 10-session program, children ages 8 to 12 and their parents learn and practice various mindfulness techniques—meditation, breathing techniques, and yoga poses, for example—shown to improve awareness, distress tolerance, and self-control. Parents focus on the impact of reactivity, attending to youth non-judgmentally, and accepting their children and their own feelings about parenting.

Children and parents meet as separate groups for nine weekly sessions and one post-group booster session. Weekly guided practice is assigned to families for application of skills outside of the group.

For more information, please email us at CSC.ASDPrograms@NYULangone.org.

Behavioral Parent Training

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with behaviors that interfere with the acquisition of daily living skills and impact a family’s quality of life. Our team provides parents and other caregivers with education, training, and coaching to teach and reinforce critical skills to children with ASD across a variety of settings. Through individual sessions with a mental health provider, either in-person or virtually, parents learn evidenced-based skills to increase appropriate behaviors and decrease problem behaviors.

Service Navigation Program

Our Service Navigation Program provides ongoing therapeutic and educational support and information for families. We have extensive experience in educational planning in New York City, including consultation on individualized education programs, school placement, and transition planning.

Outreach Presentations

Our specialists are available to parents, professionals, and schools for training and workshops on a wide range of topics. A sample of topics includes behavior management basics, anxiety and autism, dating and relationships on the spectrum, and current trends in autism research.

Training and Consultation

Our team provides one-time and ongoing professional training and consultation to schools and other organizations. Our work spans curriculum development, program design consultation and evaluation, and school observations.

We are also the New York City headquarters for the New York State Regional Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, which provides training and resources to parents, professionals, and community members on understanding autism.

Contact Us

To make an appointment, please schedule an intake screening call.