Cortica - West Springfield

We offer a wide range of medical and therapy services, including ABA, diagnostic testing, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, counseling and much more. Visit our Services page to learn more. Not all services may be available in all locations.

We specialize in autism care, but we also serve a broader range of neurodiverse patients, including those with developmental delay, ADHD, epilepsy, genetic syndromes, sensory processing disorder, and more. Our team has expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide spectrum of developmental challenges.

Yes - in almost all cases, a diagnosis of ASD is required to cover treatment. Unlike other providers, our full-time pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and nurse practitioners provide a diagnosis in-house, often virtually, during your Telehealth Welcome Visit. There's no need to pursue an Autism diagnosis from another provider. 

We typically do not have a waitlist for welcome visits, medical visits, developmental therapy evaluations, and ABA assessments. As these evaluations and assessments are complete, we prescribe weekly developmental therapy and ABA sessions as needed. Depending on your availability, we can quickly start these services. We are constantly hiring and training new DT and ABA therapists. We know that progress comes from access to services, and we will contact you any time we have an opening.

“Early Intervention” might be the provider’s way of describing services that they provide to babies or young children. However, it might also indicate that the provider is a vendor for your state’s publicly funded program. This means the services with this provider might be covered by your state! 

The first step in accessing these free services from your state is to get an evaluation. The evaluation will help the state determine what services your child qualifies for, if any. You can find your state’s local EI program by clicking here.

When you contact your local center, say “I have concerns about my child’s development and I would like to have my child evaluated to find out if they are eligible for early intervention services.” They will ask screening questions and arrange for an evaluation, which is provided for free.

Your doctor may recommend feeding therapy to help your child with their negative feelings and behaviors towards food. Feeding therapy can be a part of your existing speech and language, behavior, or occupational therapy. For example, a speech and language pathologist (SLPs) can help with chewing and swallowing related issues and an occupational therapist (OT) can help with fine motor skills related to eating. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a type of behavior therapy that will aim to improve behaviors with mealtimes and increase dietary variety and decrease unwanted behaviors such as food refusal.

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.