Where to Get an Autism Evaluation in Union 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 Union County families — how evaluation works, where to start by age, and what comes next. Union County is notable for hosting Children's Specialized Hospital's flagship Mountainside outpatient center, one of the state's largest pediatric developmental and autism evaluation sites, putting a major diagnostic resource within the county's own borders.

Under age 3: New Jersey Early Intervention

Families who have a concern about a child under age 3 can self-refer to the New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS) by calling the statewide toll-free referral line at 1-888-653-4463; a service coordinator then helps arrange a developmental evaluation, and a documented autism spectrum diagnosis establishes eligibility for services. NJEIS is administered by the NJ Department of Health and serves infants and toddlers from birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities.

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

For a child age 3 or older, a parent in any Union County district (such as Elizabeth, Union, Plainfield, Westfield, or Linden) can submit a written request to the local public school district's Child Study Team asking for an evaluation. The Child Study Team then completes a multidisciplinary assessment to determine whether the child is eligible for special education and related services under IDEA, which can include an educational classification of autism.

Medical & developmental evaluation centers

Families in and around Union 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.

• Children's Specialized Hospital - Mountainside Outpatient Center
  Mountainside · hospital developmental center

  Located in Union County, this is Children's Specialized Hospital's largest outpatient site and offers multidisciplinary autism diagnostic evaluations (developmental-behavioral pediatrician, psychologist, speech and occupational therapists) for children from birth to age 21.

• Child Development and Autism Center at Atlantic Health Children's Specialty Center at Overlook
  Summit · hospital developmental center

  Based at Overlook Medical Center in Summit (Union County), this center provides developmental, behavioral, and autism evaluations to help children with learning and developmental concerns.

• Children's Specialized Hospital Autism Center of Excellence
  New Brunswick · hospital developmental center

  A regional New Jersey program (RWJBarnabas Health) providing comprehensive team-based autism diagnostic evaluations and free virtual developmental screenings for children ages 1-5, serving families across central NJ including Union County.

• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
  New Brunswick · university clinic

  A regional university-based program whose multidisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists, and therapists evaluates children with developmental and behavioral concerns, accessible to Union County families traveling to New Brunswick.

• The Autism Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
  Newark · university clinic

  A regional university clinic in nearby Newark that uses best-practice guidelines for autism screening, diagnosis, and comprehensive developmental assessment, with access to pediatric subspecialties for additional evaluation.

• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson - Division of Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
  New Brunswick · university clinic

  A regional outpatient clinic at the Child Health Institute of New Jersey evaluating developmental and neurologic conditions from birth to age 21, available to Union County families.

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 Union County — we verify your benefits for free and can typically begin within weeks of authorization. Explore ABA therapy in Union County or our full Union 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.

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