How much did you spend on testing for your diagnosis?

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For my son:

Pschyoeducational evalutation - $1200 covered by insurance.

ADI - $320 - not covered by insurance.

ADOS - $822 - not covered by insurance. (This lasted about an hour...$$)

Parent feedback - $576.00 - not covered by insurance.

All of the testing at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders was initially quoted at $4500, but they were able to use some of the testing results I already had. Such a racket how much it costs.

the test i got done was 1k. being an adult, i didn't bother checking to see if it was covered. have been told not to bother anyway. :-p

dag. only 1k? what tests were given?

$1400 AU for a years worth of therapy by a psychiatrist every fortnight; I wasn't exactly in the best of places at the time, mentally ill, suicidal and all that fun stuff--I still am, but not as bad ($4320 all up, the government gave the "balance" back); got a diagnosis of OCD, Asperger's and autistic disorder from this one (OCD and autism are the super-duper official ones in the folder).

$60 AU for a diagnosis of AS at Attwood's (it was $160 or so for the consultation (no need for the full diagnosis the diagnostician said), the government gave me the $100 back).

i dont know because nobody ever told me how much anything costs

I don't know, it was 12 years ago.

well. i showed up with my five inch thick iep file. left that. did some basic questionnaires, did the video, and talked to the psych for awhile. she then pored over the info (going back to when i was seven), called my mom.
seh told me up front that she was stingy about making a dx because for an AS dx, there needs to be solid history.

she was floored by the iep file and was able to confirm a dx.

it was at a uni so i wonder if that affects pricing?

DDS paid for it.

Gosh, why do people have to pay for a diagnosis they need? Is it because people generally have to pay for everything medical themselves or is it because there are only few experienced diagnosticians that are able to diagnose ASDs and those who diagnose it must be paid unlike other psychologists and psychiatrists?

I know that there is a centre nearby that diagnosis autistic adults. The charge is only up to €200 Euro, which is about $300. From what I know, they do everything a psychologist would do, including an MRT, EEG and lots of technical tests that I have no idea of.

But $4k and more, that is insanity. My therapy costs about that, but it's covered by the social youth services for now.

Well, I have heard of therapy being denied or special ed being denied to children, so that then the parents had to pay it all. And if a diagnosis isn't given, then people have to turn to private diagnosticians who charge probably that much.

If had to pay for a diagnosis, I wouldn't have gotten one until I'm old enough to earn and pay the money myself, if I manage to hold a job that is.

i agree with you, sora. i mean the whole health care industry in america is so f****d. especially when it comes to insurance! (don't even get me started )

it was important for me to get a proper diagnosis though for several reasons:

*peace of mind so i knew what was behind my sons behavior, so now i can educate myself as much as i can on it.

*IEP for my son's school. I need to make sure he is entitled to ALL of the accommodations available to him through out high school.

He was previously mis-diagnosed by another doctor and I battled with his school for a year to even have them recognize the initial diagnosis of NLD. Had I had the proper diagnosis in the first place, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Sora,

Psychologists in the US always cost a lot. A lot of "insurance" in the US doesn't cover such things, and what it DOES cover is generally not fully covered. BTW more elective things cost MORE! That means kids can get treatment for free that will cost adults a LOT!

RampionRampage,

You got an IEP WITHOUT a diagnosis?

no. i got it originally for being hearing impaired. then 'emotionally disturbed' was tacked on when i was 12.

ETA: most insurance, if not all, will not cover AS.

Diagnosis: $0
Knowledge: Priceless

The State of California has the Lanterman Act which covers all developmental disabilities that occurs before 18. My son was officially diagnosed at the MIND Institute after being referred by our Regional Center. He was initially evaluated at 2 1/2 by a neurologist (covered by insurance) and then educationally diagnosed at 3 by the local school district.

Nothing it was done on the National Health Service, I wasn't even looking for a diagnoses of Asperger, I was just getting my head sorted, how's that for service.

Didn't pay a thing ... Read the symptoms on free websites ... And from what I'm reading here at Wrong Planet in various threads, am Very Glad I wasn't labeled as a child ... Would've done far more harm than good, methinks.