RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY- Tiffany Hardesty was years away from finding an autism evaluation for her 5-year-old son Liam when she started this journey in 2021. When her youngest, 1-year-old Nolin, started showing signs of autism too, she had both of them on multiple waitlists all over the region. The family lives in a rural part of Kentucky, about 1.5 hours away from Louisville, in an area that lacks diagnostic resources.
“I was ready to drive anywhere to do it, so I got on all these waitlists trying. We’ve been on waitlists for years. It’s been so frustrating to find somewhere until I found As You Are. It was so easy to get everything done,” she said.
As You Are is a virtual clinic for autism diagnostic evaluations. When she discovered it on Facebook, she thought it was too good to be true. That’s when she read through the reviews and searched Google for everything that has been written about the diagnostic services. Finally, Tiffany’s heart was settled on telehealth as a way to get her children seen. Liam and Nolin each met with the As You Are physician over three video calls.
“The doctor could see how he acts normally and what he does without it being in a new scary place. Because he doesn’t do well in new places,” she said, referring to her youngest.
When hearing the diagnosis out loud for both of her boys, Tiffany felt comforted by the As You Are physician even through the screen. She says she also felt a sense of relief after finally getting the answers she had been desperately searching for.
“I felt excited that I could help them get help. I’m now one step closer with the diagnosis. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m so glad we found you. You all have been amazing and life changing,” she said.
Do you have questions about your child’s development? The team at As You Are provides diagnostic evaluations for kids 16 months to 10 years old via telehealth appointments along with useful resources, including an online autism screening. Learn more at asyouare.com.
