What Does Autism Society Provide for Autism Screening and Diagnosis?

autismsociety.org hosts a Screening and Diagnosis section that covers identifying Autism and related conditions, diagnosis by life stage, and educational evaluations. It is an information and navigation hub, not a clinical service: the site does not diagnose anyone. Use it to understand what screening and diagnosis involve, then follow its links to find providers or evaluations in your area.

What the Screening and Diagnosis section covers

The site describes the section as addressing three things:

• Identifying Autism and related conditions — what the signs are and what conditions may overlap or be confused with Autism.
• Diagnosis by life stage — because the questions, tools, and providers differ depending on whether you are seeking an answer for a young child, a school-age child, or an adult.
• Educational evaluations — the school-based process that is separate from a medical diagnosis but often runs alongside it.

That structure matters because "screening" and "diagnosis" are not the same step, and neither is the same as an educational evaluation. Screening flags whether further assessment is warranted; diagnosis is a clinical determination; an educational evaluation determines eligibility for school-based services. The section is organized so you can find the part that matches your situation rather than reading one generic page.

How to use it, step by step

1. Start at the Screening and Diagnosis page. Read the overview to identify which life stage applies to you or the person you are asking about.
2. Follow the life-stage path. The content is split by life stage, so pick the one that fits instead of reading all of them.
3. Note the educational evaluation material separately. If the person is school-age, this is the track that connects to school services, and it is distinct from a medical diagnosis.
4. Move to Resources by Topic. The site's Resources by Topic section is where you find ongoing support, not just diagnostic information.
5. Find local help through Find an Affiliate. The site offers an affiliate lookup that connects you to organizations in your area — the practical next step once you know what kind of evaluation you are seeking.

Expected result: you leave with a clear sense of which evaluation you need and where to look for a local provider or affiliate, rather than a diagnosis itself.

What it is not

• Not a diagnostic tool. Nothing on the page replaces an evaluation by a qualified clinician.
• Not a provider directory in the strict sense. The affiliate lookup connects you to local Autism Society affiliates, which is a starting point for local support, not a vetted list of diagnosticians.
• Not a substitute for school channels. Educational evaluations go through the school system; the site explains them but does not conduct them.

Where to go next

The site also runs campaigns and resource collaborations — for example, a voting guide for Election Day 2026 and a bedwetting language resource made with Goodnites — which sit alongside the core screening and diagnosis material rather than replacing it. If your question is specifically "does my child meet the criteria," the site will point you toward an evaluation; it will not answer that question for you.