UNIONVILLE, VIRGINIA – Kristal Rusk spent months trying to get an autism evaluation for her 2-year-old son, Mattis. Being put on multiple waitlists, having their spot on a waitlist canceled, being told by several places they have no set timeframe available… these are all the struggles Kristal had faced during the process.
“I was warned about the wait times, but I didn’t truly know how bad it was,” Kristal said.
That all changed when she discovered As You Are, a virtual clinic that provides autism diagnostic evaluations for kids through telehealth appointments. She was referred to As You Are by a local therapy center in Culpeper County, Virginia, where she had been taking Mattis for early intervention services.
“It was so much easier than I expected,” she said. “I was hesitant at first and wasn’t sure how well a diagnosis would translate through a computer. But the doctor was really good and reassured me, and it ended up working out so well.”
After three video calls with a dedicated As You Are physician, Mattis was diagnosed with autism. Kristal felt so relieved to have a doctor that was on the same page as her.
She said, “I’d been gearing up for it for at least eight months; I’d been speculating. But it took me that long to get someone to listen to me.”
The evaluation through As You Are was covered by her child’s individual insurance plan, and she was thrilled that the entire process went so smoothly. From filling out the paperwork to the official diagnosis, it all happened within a month’s time.
“I really was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how great the communication has been with their team,” Kristal said. “It’s been really nice because you don’t always get that.”
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.
