CHARLESTON • ADHD & AUTISM TESTING
ADHD & Autism Testing in Charleston, SC
You have probably been told to “get him tested” more than once. Or you have spent an evening reading about adult ADHD and recognised your entire life in a list of bullet points. Either way, the next step is the same, and it is usually the one that stalls: finding somewhere that can actually see you.
Our Charleston office provides comprehensive ADHD and autism evaluations for children, teens and adults. Assessments are conducted by licensed psychologists using standardised, evidence-based instruments, and you leave with a written report you can take to a school, an employer or a physician — not just a verbal impression. Most major insurance plans are accepted.
WHEN TO CONSIDER TESTING
When an evaluation is worth doing
You do not need certainty to start. An evaluation is designed to produce the answer, not to confirm one you already have. It is usually worth doing when:
- A school has raised concerns, or you are seeking a 504 plan or IEP and have been asked for documentation
- A child is bright but consistently underperforming, and nobody can explain the gap
- Focus, organisation or impulsivity are affecting work, study, driving or relationships
- A pediatrician or therapist has recommended formal assessment before considering medication
- Social communication, sensory sensitivity or rigid routines are making daily life harder
- An adult has recognised themselves in ADHD or autism descriptions and wants a real answer rather than an internet quiz
- A previous diagnosis no longer seems to fit, or treatment has not worked as expected
WHAT WE ASSESS
What we assess
ADHD evaluations
A full ADHD evaluation looks at attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, executive functioning, working memory and processing speed — and just as importantly, it rules out the things that imitate ADHD. Anxiety, trauma, sleep disorders, learning disabilities and depression all produce attention problems, and treating the wrong one wastes years. That differential is the whole point of a formal assessment rather than a fifteen-minute questionnaire.
Autism evaluations
Autism assessment examines social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviours, sensory processing, developmental history and adaptive functioning. We assess across ages, including adults and — importantly — women and girls, whose presentation is frequently missed in childhood because it does not match the pattern most people were taught to look for.
What else an evaluation can clarify
Because a comprehensive battery measures cognitive and academic functioning as well, it often surfaces things nobody was looking for: a specific learning disorder, a processing speed deficit, giftedness alongside ADHD, or an anxiety disorder that has been driving the whole picture.
EVALUATION PROCESS
How the process works
Six steps, start to finish. We will tell you where you are in them at every point.
1
Intake and paperwork
You share developmental, medical, school and family history. We gather rating scales from parents and, with consent, teachers — because behaviour at home and behaviour at school are different data points.
2
Insurance verification
We check your benefits and tell you what your evaluation will cost before any testing is scheduled. No surprise bill at the end.
3
Assessment sessions
A licensed psychologist administers the battery directly. Sessions are structured but conversational, and for children they are broken up with breaks.
4
Scoring and report writing
Your psychologist scores, interprets and writes a full report with diagnostic conclusions and specific, usable recommendations.
5
Feedback session
We walk you through the findings in plain language — what the results mean, what they do not mean, and exactly what to do next. You get the written report to take to schools, physicians or employers.
6
Follow-up and ongoing care
If treatment is recommended, we can start it here — therapy, medication management or both — and review progress quarterly. You are not handed a report and left to find your own next appointment.
TESTING ACROSS AGES
Testing for every age
Children (ages 3+)
What we look at
Developmental history, cognitive ability, attention, behaviour, social communication, early academic skills
Common reason for referral
School concerns, delayed milestones, behaviour at home or in the classroom
School-age children & teens
What we look at
Attention and executive function, learning disorders, cognitive profile, emotional functioning
Common reason for referral
Grades that don’t match ability, 504 or IEP documentation, homework battles, social difficulty
Adults
What we look at
Adult ADHD presentation, executive function, autism in adults, differential against anxiety and depression
Common reason for referral
Lifelong difficulty finally being named, workplace accommodations, medication assessment, self-recognition
Adult evaluations are worth calling out. Many adults were never assessed as children — particularly women, and particularly anyone who compensated well enough academically that nobody looked. A diagnosis in adulthood is not too late; it reframes a long history and opens up treatment and workplace accommodations that were never available before.
WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE
What you receive
- A comprehensive written report with test scores, interpretation and diagnostic conclusions
- Specific, actionable recommendations — classroom accommodations, workplace adjustments, treatment options, parenting strategies
- Documentation formatted for what you actually need it for: a 504 plan, an IEP, a physician considering medication, or an employer's accommodation process
- A feedback session where a psychologist explains all of it in plain language and answers your questions
- A route straight into treatment if you want it, with clinicians who already have your results
Cost & coverage
Cost and insurance
We accept most major insurance plans, including BlueCross BlueShield, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Optum, UMR, Tricare, Medicare and Medicaid. Psychological testing is covered under most plans when it is medically necessary, though coverage rules differ more between carriers than they do for talk therapy — some require prior authorisation, some cap the number of testing hours.
We verify your benefits and give you a written cost estimate before scheduling any assessment sessions, so you know what you are committing to.
CHARLESTON OFFICE
Where testing happens
ADHD and autism evaluations are conducted in person — the instruments require direct administration and observation. In Charleston, that is our West Ashley office in Harrell Square on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, with free on-site parking.
Trusted Results Therapy Group — Charleston
Address
2000 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Suite 2011 & Suite 3009, Charleston, SC 29407
Phone
Hours
Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Parking
Free on-site parking at Harrell Square
Serving
West Ashley, downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, James Island, Johns Island, Summerville and the Lowcountry
Testing is also available at our Rock Hill and Myrtle Beach offices. Follow-up therapy and medication management can be delivered in person or virtually anywhere in South Carolina, so only the assessment itself requires travel.
YOUR EVALUATION TEAM
Who conducts the evaluation
Evaluations are administered and interpreted by licensed psychologists — not by a questionnaire or an unlicensed technician. You will know who is testing you or your child before you arrive, and the same psychologist writes the report and delivers the feedback session.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about ADHD and autism testing
How long does an ADHD evaluation take?
Testing sessions themselves typically run several hours and may be split across more than one visit, particularly for children who need breaks. Scoring, interpretation and report writing take additional time after the sessions are complete.
Does insurance cover ADHD or autism testing in South Carolina?
In most cases yes, when testing is medically necessary. Coverage varies more between carriers than it does for therapy — some plans require prior authorisation or limit testing hours. We verify your specific benefits and give you a cost estimate before any assessment is scheduled. Call 843-508-6731 to start that check.
Can adults be tested for ADHD or autism?
Yes. Many adults were never assessed as children, especially women and anyone who compensated well enough academically that no one raised it. Adult evaluations look at current functioning alongside developmental history and rule out conditions that present similarly.
What age can a child be tested?
We see clients from age three. The instruments used depend on the child’s age and developmental level — assessment for a preschooler looks very different from assessment for a high school student.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
Not usually — you can contact us directly. Some insurance plans require a referral or prior authorisation for testing specifically, which we will identify during benefits verification and help you obtain.
Will the report be accepted by my child's school for a 504 plan or IEP?
Yes. Reports are written to be usable documentation for school accommodation requests, and include specific recommended accommodations rather than general advice. Tell us at intake that a 504 or IEP is the goal so the recommendations are written for that purpose.
What if the evaluation doesn't find ADHD or autism?
That is a useful outcome, not a wasted one. A comprehensive evaluation identifies what is actually going on — a learning disorder, anxiety, a sleep problem, a processing difficulty — and gives you recommendations for that instead. Ruling something out is often the thing that finally unlocks the right treatment.
Can testing be done online?
No. The instruments require in-person administration and direct behavioural observation. Follow-up therapy and medication management afterwards can be virtual anywhere in South Carolina.
Get answers, not more guessing
Most families arrive here after years of suspecting something and being told to wait and see. An evaluation replaces that with a clear picture and a plan — and because we provide therapy and psychiatric care in the same practice, the plan can start immediately rather than sending you back out to look for another waitlist.
Call 843-508-6731 or request an evaluation online. We will verify your insurance, explain the cost, and get you scheduled.