Children's Health Council - Palo Alto

While we do work with Santa Clara County MediCal, CHC is considered an out-of-network provider by all private insurance plans for outpatient services. CHC provides a monthly superbill so that you can work with your insurance provider to see reimbursement. While our office does not have formal contracts with private health insurance companies and our services are self-pay, we offer a generous financial assistance program and encourage families to apply via our two-page application. CHC never wants finances to be a barrier to accessing the best-in-class care your family deserves.

We also provide our most commonly used billing codes in case you want to reach out to your insurance provider to see what they will reimburse prior to starting services. Out-of-Network Insurance Reimbursement Guide (PDF). 

Yes! The CHC Resource Library offers online, anytime access to the best resources about learning differences, ADHD, autism, anxiety and depression. Visit the Resource Library and gain greater insight to your child’s thought processes, emotions and behavior. Recordings of Community Ed sessions are posted here, as well.

Please also check out our CHC Voices of Compassion Podcast for insights, inspiration and creative conversation about mental health, education and parenting.

You can also join a parent support group for families facing similar issues. Knowing you are not alone makes a huge difference. Plus, you’ll learn tips from other parents and caregivers who are on the journey alongside you. CHC offers groups for parents of children and teens with ADHD, Learning Differences or Anxiety. Learn more about CHC’s groups here.

Collect prior assessments and available records – any prior evaluation reports, progress reports, discharge summaries from therapy, school documents (report cards, progress notes from teachers, examples of work), school district evaluation reports, IEP documents, relevant medical information and anything else you think would be pertinent.

Gather input from additional people in your child’s life (such as teachers, coaches, therapists, educational specialists, clinical treatment providers) about your child’s functioning. This could be informal (a brief chat) or by requesting a meeting or written note.

During a CHC evaluation, we really get to know the ins and outs of your child. An expert team of professionals works carefully with you and your child, talking and listening. Then the team collaborates and recommends a plan of action that works best for your family. All specialists on your team are in one building, so they can easily confer or speak with one another about your child.

The evaluation process begins with a parent/caregiver-only intake appointment that is typically 90 minutes in length. The intake appointment allows our clinician to gather your child's comprehensive developmental history. Your clinician will ask you to identify areas of strength and challenge, so they can determine the scope of the evaluation. This is your chance to share your child's strengths and areas of concern with someone who understands and specializes in helping children reach their full potential. Based on your child's unique history and in the information provided, the clinician will recommend a psychological, psychoeducational, or neuropsychological evaluations and determine the number of testing sessions needed, the duration of these sessions, and whether a school observation is indicated (subject to schools allowing visitors on campus). Your clinician will also let you know if an occupational therapy (OT) evaluation and/or speech and language (SLP) evaluation are necessary in order to address your areas of concern.

Learn more here.

Yes! We offer a one-day autism evaluation clinic for kids from birth to age 5.

The entire assessment takes place during one visit from approximately 9am to 2pm and includes testing with a psychologist and speech and language pathologist and a feedback session with both clinicians. The visit includes opportunities for playtime and a lunch break, and is paced appropriately for young children. The report, which will be shared with the family within two weeks of the testing date, includes detailed information on developmental, adaptive, speech/language, and social-emotional functioning. Assessments will be available in both English and Spanish, with the final report provided in English.

CHC is also uniquely situated to provide post-assessment services through our team of interdisciplinary professionals. Early Support Program for Autism (ESPA), a joint program between Stanford Children’s Health and CHC, is a wonderful, free resource that helps families of individuals with autism navigate educational and healthcare systems. CHC also offers speech therapy, occupational therapy, and PCIT, among other services with young child specialists. We are committed to providing information and support to make sure that following the assessment, each family has the tools necessary to help their child reach their full potential. 

A formal ASD diagnosis, or a medical diagnosis, helps you get the support your family needs, especially within the context of accessing medically necessary therapies and services.

• Insurance Coverage for Therapies: Medically necessary therapies for ASD are often covered by insurance including, but not limited to, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy. 
• Financial Support: A diagnosis is required when applying for social security or disability benefits. 
• Plan for Care: A diagnosis helps identify your child’s support needs. For example, your child might need to develop social communication and self-regulation skills.
• Future Research: The more data we gather through evaluations, the more we can improve services for autistic children and adults.

Check out Autism Diagnosis: The Complete Guide for Parents for more information.

1 in 36 children is diagnosed with autism according to the latest reports.

Here are some reasons why:

• Medical professionals understand autism better. More doctors are trained to test for autism and other developmental and language delays.  
• The definition of autism has evolved in recent years which means that an autism diagnosis covers more conditions to help more people get the services they need.

For more information check out Common autism diagnosis questions: Answers from Dr. Melanie Hsu

Yes, but there is room for improvement. We don’t have a single, perfect diagnostic tool for autism and there are a lot of factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis. There are a few “gold standards” that are used for diagnosis.