Overview
Early identification of autism can make a meaningful difference in a child’s development. Although autism can be reliably identified in toddlers, most children in the U.S. are not diagnosed until around age four or older—missing the window when early intervention can have the greatest impact.
At Easterseals, our clinicians provide comprehensive autism evaluations for children as young as 16 to 30 months. Early diagnosis allows families to understand their child’s strengths and challenges and connect to targeted early intervention that supports communication, learning, and social growth during the most critical years of brain development.
Each evaluation uses gold-standard diagnostic tools, developmental testing, and parent interviews to provide a full understanding of your child’s abilities. As part of this process, we incorporate EarliPoint™, an FDA-authorized eye-tracking tool that offers objective insight into how young children engage with social and visual cues.
Easterseals is proud to be the first and only provider in Connecticut offering EarliPoint™ as part of a comprehensive early autism evaluation, helping families gain answers and access to effective early supports.
The Autism Evaluation Process
Our comprehensive autism evaluations identify developmental differences early and provide families with clear, actionable recommendations for next steps. Evaluations are conducted by experienced clinicians who specialize in neurodevelopmental assessment and early childhood development.
Each evaluation includes:
- Parent Intake – A telehealth or in-office meeting to review your child’s developmental history, current concerns, and daily functioning.
- In-Office Assessment – Use of gold-standard, objective measures to evaluate developmental, social, communication, and behavioral skills. This includes use of EarliPoint™ as one part of a broader, comprehensive assessment.
- Feedback & Recommendations – A follow-up session (telehealth or in-office) to review results, provide diagnostic impressions, and discuss recommendations for early intervention and therapy services.
This process helps families better understand their child’s developmental profile and connect to the supports that promote communication, learning, and social engagement during the most important years for growth.
What Is EarliPoint™?
EarliPoint™ is an FDA-authorized eye-tracking tool that measures how young children engage with social and visual cues using a tablet-based system. It provides objective data in three key areas:
- Social engagement and attention
- Verbal communication
- Non-verbal learning and play
This technology helps clinicians gather early, quantifiable information about a child’s development in an engaging and child-friendly way. At Easterseals, EarliPoint™ is one component of a full diagnostic evaluation and is used alongside behavioral observation, developmental testing, and parent interviews to provide a complete understanding of your child’s strengths and needs.
Getting Started
A referral from a prescribing physician is required for this evaluation. Referral forms can be faxed to 860-748-4432.
For more information or to get started with our Early Autism Evaluation services, please contact us at 860-270-0600 x100 or clinicalservices@escrec.org.
