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How autism is diagnosed

Last updated on June 10, 2026

How the diagnostic assessment works 

A paediatrician, psychiatrist or registered psychologist completes an assessment by examining your child's:

  • Medical and developmental history
  • Behaviours, social interactions and communication strategies

During the assessment, the professional will interact with your child and observe how they complete a structured play-based assessment and cognitive, or thinking skill tests. The professional will also ask you questions about your child’s behaviour and development.

After the assessment, you will meet with the professional and receive a written report. The entire process takes more than one appointment to complete. At least one parent or guardian needs to be at the assessment. You can bring along another family member or friend for support.

Scheduling a diagnostic assessment

British Columbia Autism Assessment Network (BCAAN) provides free diagnostic assessments for children up to age 19. Lookup public assessment wait times.

  • Get a referral from your doctor
  • BCAAN will coordinate an assessment as close to where you live as possible
  • After the assessment, BCAAN will send you a Clinical Outcomes Form with test results

A regulated B.C. professional in private practice can also provide assessment and diagnosis as long as it follows B.C. standards and guidelines for assessments (PDF) and meets Autism Funding eligibility, which requires completion of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) to be completed. Other assessments will not meet eligibility for Autism Funding. Parents need to pay for these assessments. This option might take less time.

Note for regulated B.C. professional:

  • To meet eligibility requirements for Autism Funding, a private autism diagnosis requires completion of both ADOS-2 and ADI-R by a regulated BC professional (other assessments will not meet eligibility for Autism Funding).
  • Completing the Non-BCAAN form clearly and thoroughly helps the ministry process autism applications efficiently.

Assessments completed outside of B.C. must be confirmed by a regulated B.C. professional before you can apply for autism funding. 

If the assessment does not meet B.C. standards, you may need to have a new diagnostic assessment done in B.C. before applying for autism funding. The regulated BC professional needs to be trained to assess autism, must observe the child, and attest that the diagnosis meets the DSM-5 criteria.

Note for regulated B.C. professionals: Completing the Confirmation of Previous Diagnosis form clearly and thoroughly helps the ministry process autism applications efficiently. 

Frequently Asked Questions for regulated Professionals

Frequently Asked Questions for Regulated Professionals – Autism Assessments

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Who can complete a non-BCAAN (private) autism diagnostic assessment?

Assessments must be conducted by a regulated BC professional (Pediatrician, Psychiatrist or Registered Psychologist) trained to diagnose autism. 

 

What diagnostic assessments must non-BCAAN autism assessors use? 

  • The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and 
  • The Autism Diagnostic Interview-revised (ADI-R) 

To be eligible for Autism Funding in B.C., all assessments for children of any age must include the implementation of both assessment tools.

 

Does the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) accept virtual/telephone autism diagnostic assessments?    

The ministry will accept the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised assessment done virtually, or by telephone.   

The ministry does not accept Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule ADOS assessments done virtually, or by telephone, as it has not been validated by these means.

 

Does MCFD accept short form autism diagnostic assessments for children diagnosed in British Columbia?   

MCFD does not currently accept short form assessments, including hospital discharge summaries, or summary letters and recommendations.

All completed assessment reports must be submitted, along with necessary documentation, to the child’s local MCFD office before the family is able to apply for autism programs.

For children under the age of 6, the assessment must show a multidisciplinary diagnosis of autism, including psychological pediatric, and speech-language pathology reports.

The ministry is undertaking a full review of autism forms to streamline and update information and language.

 

Why has the requirement for pediatrician reports for Under-Six Non-BCAAN Autism Funding applications been temporarily suspended?

  • As of October 8th, 2025, the MCFD policy requirement that Under-Six Non-BCAAN Autism Funding applications include a pediatrician (medical) report is temporarily suspended, province-wide.  Recent challenges accessing pediatricians to complete medical work ups for Autism Funding applications have delayed access to funding that supports important early intervention services. Removing the requirement to include a pediatrician report with Under-Six Non-BCAAN Autism Funding applications reduces barriers for vulnerable families in B.C. and is responsive to current health care challenges.  This change signals government’s commitment to reducing barriers for children and families and being responsive to current health care challenges.  Seeing a pediatrician is still important to promote the overall health/wellbeing of the child but should not result in a delay when applying for Autism Funding.  Families with an Under-Six Non-BCAAN application without a pediatrician’s report can be submitted to Autism Funding for eligibility determination. 
  • Other Under-Six Non-BCAAN application policy criteria remain in effect (e.g., speech-therapy report, psychological report).

 

 If your child receives an autism diagnosis

After receiving your child's autism diagnosis, an assessment may indicate that your child needs support with skill development. You can:

  • Build a support team that's tailored to your child's needs – it might include health professionals, therapists, care providers, educators and support workers
  • Apply for autism funding to help cover the cost of support that will help them reach their development goals