Where to Get an Autism Evaluation in Bergen County, NJ

If you are wondering whether your child should be evaluated for autism, you are already taking the most important step. This is a plain, neutral guide for Bergen County families — how evaluation works, where to start by age, and what comes next. Bergen County is one of New Jersey's most densely populated counties and is anchored by major hospital systems with Bergen-based developmental centers in Paramus (Valley Health) and Hackensack (Hackensack Meridian), giving local families in-county options many other NJ counties lack.

Under age 3: New Jersey Early Intervention

For a child under age 3, families access the New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS) by calling the statewide toll-free referral line at 1-888-653-4463. Anyone (including a parent) can make a referral; a service coordinator then discusses concerns and, with consent, arranges a developmental evaluation. Evaluation and eligibility assessment are provided at no cost to the family, and a documented autism spectrum disorder diagnosis makes a child automatically eligible for services.

Age 3 and up: your school's Child Study Team

For children age 3 and older, a Bergen County family can submit a written request to their local public school district's Child Study Team for a special-education evaluation. The Child Study Team (typically a school psychologist, learning consultant, and social worker, with related specialists) conducts a no-cost evaluation to determine eligibility for special-education services and an IEP, though a school classification of autism is for educational planning and is separate from a medical diagnosis.

Medical & developmental evaluation centers

Families in and around Bergen County also seek a medical or developmental diagnosis through pediatricians and specialty centers. The options below are a starting point — some are local and some are regional. Always confirm current services, eligibility, and insurance directly with each provider.

• Kireker Center for Child Development (Valley Health System)
  Paramus · hospital developmental center

  Valley Health's multidisciplinary child-development center in Bergen County offers developmental-behavioral pediatric and autism diagnostic evaluations, coordinating developmental pediatricians, neurology, audiology, and rehabilitation therapists.

• Institute for Child Development, Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital (Hackensack Meridian Health)
  Hackensack · hospital developmental center

  Hackensack Meridian's developmental medicine program in Bergen County provides autism, ADHD, and developmental-behavioral pediatric evaluation and diagnosis for children and adolescents.

• Children's Specialized Hospital Autism Program (RWJBarnabas Health)
  Multiple NJ locations (regional) · hospital developmental center

  A statewide RWJBarnabas pediatric specialty network offering comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluations and free virtual developmental screenings for ages 1-5; serves Bergen County families through its regional NJ sites rather than a Bergen-based office.

• Bergen Pediatric Therapy Center
  Westwood · community clinic

  A Bergen County pediatric therapy practice that evaluates and treats children with autism spectrum disorder and related developmental conditions through speech, occupational, and physical therapy services.

• Spectrum Achievers ABA - Autism Evaluation Center
  Rochelle Park · community clinic

  A Bergen County clinic offering comprehensive autism assessments by licensed psychologists using standardized diagnostic tools (such as the ADOS-2), with bilingual English/Spanish services available.

• Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care / Children's Specialized Hospital (academic referral)
  New Brunswick / Statewide (regional) · university clinic

  Rutgers and RWJBarnabas academic pediatric programs provide developmental and autism diagnostic services across New Jersey; a regional resource that Bergen County families may be referred to for specialized evaluation.

• New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS)
  Statewide referral line · early intervention

  The state's birth-to-3 system; families call 1-888-653-4463 for a free developmental evaluation, which is the first diagnostic access point for very young children in Bergen County.

After a diagnosis: starting ABA therapy

Once your child has an autism diagnosis, ABA therapy is covered by NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid and most commercial insurance. You do not have to wait. Autumn ABA provides in-home, BCBA-led ABA with no waitlist across Bergen County — we verify your benefits for free and can typically begin within weeks of authorization. Explore ABA therapy in Bergen County or our full Bergen County autism & ABA resource guide.

Helpful statewide resources

• NJ Early Intervention System — birth to age 3.
• Autism New Jersey — free helpline & referrals.
• SPAN Parent Advocacy Network — help navigating evaluations & IEPs.

← Back to all resources