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Mosaic Minds Center For Autism & Neurodivergent Learning

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(252)495- 8616

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Diagnostic Testing & Evaluations

Educational Assessments, Autism Screenings, FBA/BIP Support & Evaluation Consultation

Mosaic Minds provides education-focused assessments, structured screenings, rating scales, observations, records reviews, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, and educational consultation for autistic and other neurodivergent learners. Our goal is to support families and educational teams in understanding each learner’s academic, behavioral, communication, sensory, social, executive-functioning, and adaptive needs. Findings are used to identify strengths, clarify concerns, guide educational planning, and
develop practical recommendations for home, school, and community settings.

Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition - CARS-2

The CARS-2 is an autism-focused rating scale using direct observation, developmental information, and caregiver input to identify characteristics commonly associated with autism.

  • Developmental and educational history review
  • Parent or caregiver interview
  • Direct structured observation
  • Communication and social-interaction review
  • Behavioral patterns, interests, flexibility, and sensory responses
  • Scoring and educational interpretation
  • Written summary and recommendations

It may be used within an autism-related educational screening and support profile; it does not independently establish a clinical autism diagnosis.

The GARS-3 is a structured autism rating scale that may assist in identifying autism-related characteristics and educational support needs.

  • Restricted or repetitive behaviors
  • Social interaction and social communication
  • Emotional responses
  • Cognitive style
  • Maladaptive speech

It is used as one source of information within a broader educational review and is not a stand-alone medical or psychological diagnosis.

The Vineland-3 measures adaptive functioning across everyday environments.

  • Communication
  • Daily living skills
  • Socialization
  • Personal independence
  • Community participation
  • Motor skills, when applicable
  • Maladaptive behavior
  • Functional performance across settings

Findings may support IEP present levels and functional goals, transition and independent-living planning, communication and social-development planning, and recommendations for home, school, and community.

The BASC uses parent, teacher, student, and observation forms to examine behavioral, emotional, social, executive-functioning, and adaptive needs.

  • Parent and Teacher Rating Scales
  • Student Self-Report
  • Structured Developmental History
  • Student Observation System
  • Behavioral and Emotional Screening System
  • Executive-functioning and adaptive-skills information
  • Intervention-planning recommendations
  • Attention, anxiety, emotional distress, school concerns, social skills, adaptability, communication, withdrawal, regulation, daily living, resilience, and personal adjustment

Results may inform educational recommendations, FBA/BIP planning, intervention selection, and progress monitoring.

A Functional Behavioral Assessment is a structured, data-informed process used to understand why behavior occurs, contributing variables, and what the learner may be communicating or seeking.

  • Parent, teacher, caregiver, and provider interviews
  • IEP/504, evaluation, disciplinary, incident, and intervention record review
  • Direct observation across relevant settings
  • Antecedent-behavior-consequence data
  • Frequency, duration, intensity, and latency data
  • Scatterplots and pattern analysis
  • Setting events, triggers, task demands, and instructional conditions
  • Sensory, communication, social, and environmental factors
  • Current accommodations and supports
  • Likely educational function of behavior
  • Prevention, replacement-skill, reinforcement, and progress-monitoring recommendations

The report may support educational planning, IEP-team discussions, intervention development, requests for additional evaluation, and BIP development or revision.

Based on FBA findings, educational records, observations, and available data, Mosaic Minds may develop or review a Behavior Intervention Plan.

  • Clearly defined target behaviors and assessment summary
  • Likely function, triggers, and setting events
  • Prevention and environmental strategies
  • Communication, sensory, and self-regulation supports
  • Replacement skills and positive reinforcement
  • Staff/caregiver response, de-escalation, and recovery procedures
  • Crisis-prevention considerations
  • Data collection, progress-monitoring criteria, and implementation responsibilities
  • Home-school collaboration and review timelines

A BIP is designed to identify unmet needs, reduce barriers, teach functional replacement skills, and improve safe, successful participation.

Mosaic Minds may review current and previous educational records to help families understand what has been assessed, how findings relate to the learner’s plan, and what questions remain.

  • IEPs and Section 504 Plans
  • Eligibility documents
  • Psychological and psychoeducational reports
  • Speech-language, OT, and PT reports
  • Family-provided medical and developmental reports
  • FBAs and BIPs
  • MTSS and academic-intervention data
  • Progress reports, work samples, state/district testing
  • Attendance, discipline, transition plans, Prior Written Notices, and procedural documents

The review may determine whether the current plan appropriately addresses:

  • Present levels and annual goals
  • Specially designed instruction
  • Accommodations and modifications
  • Supplementary aids and services
  • Behavior and sensory supports
  • Assistive technology and AAC needs
  • Related services
  • Progress monitoring
  • Extended School Year considerations
  • Transition services
  • Alignment between evaluation findings and the educational program

Education-focused assessment may examine:

  • Phonological awareness, decoding, word recognition, and reading fluency
  • Vocabulary and reading comprehension
  • Spelling and written expression
  • Mathematics calculation, reasoning, and problem-solving
  • Study skills, academic engagement, assignment completion, and response to intervention

Measures may include curriculum-based, criterion-referenced, informal, and appropriate educational assessment tools.

This profile may examine:

  • Planning, organization, time management, and task initiation
  • Working memory, sustained attention, flexible thinking, and problem-solving
  • Emotional self-management, self-monitoring, and adapting to changes in routines
  • Communication of needs, self-advocacy, personal independence, and daily living skills
  • Assignment completion, safety awareness, functional academics, community participation, employment readiness, and independent-living skills

This review may examine how the learner initiates and maintains interactions, communicates wants, needs, and boundaries, participates in groups, responds to peers and adults, interprets social situations, manages misunderstandings, uses self-advocacy, responds to social demands, and uses speech, gestures, visual supports, or AAC.

This service does not replace a formal speech-language evaluation.

A sensory and regulation review may identify:

  • Sensory preferences, seeking, and avoidance
  • Environmental triggers and signs of overload or shutdown
  • Conditions supporting attention and engagement
  • Effective calming and regulation strategies
  • Classroom and home accommodations
  • Appropriate use of the Mosaic Minds Sensory Oasis
  • Need for additional specialized evaluation

This service does not replace a formal occupational therapy evaluation.

The review may address:

  • Current verbal, visual, gestural, and AAC communication
  • Ability to request help, breaks, or clarification
  • Communication during stress
  • Accessibility of AAC supports
  • Communication opportunities throughout daily routines
  • Caregiver and staff implementation
  • Need for additional communication evaluation

Observations may examine:

  • Instructional access and academic engagement
  • Task demands and communication opportunities
  • Peer participation and transitions
  • Sensory conditions and regulation needs
  • Adult prompts and responses
  • Effectiveness of accommodations
  • Environmental barriers and patterns associated with challenging behavior

The review may consider:

  • Visual schedules and graphic organizers
  • Adapted writing tools
  • Text-to-speech and speech-to-text
  • Alternative keyboards and AAC systems
  • Task-management applications
  • Accessible instructional materials
  • Sensory and regulation supports
  • Environmental adaptations

Transition-focused assessment may address:

  • Strengths, preferences, and interests
  • Self-determination and self-advocacy
  • Postsecondary education and career interests
  • Job readiness and independent living
  • Community participation and transportation
  • Communication and social participation
  • Adult-service planning

An autism-related educational screening may include:

  • Developmental and educational records review
  • Parent interview
  • Teacher or provider input, when authorized
  • Direct observation
  • CARS-2 and GARS-3, when appropriate
  • Vineland-3 adaptive-behavior measure
  • BASC behavioral and emotional rating scales
  • Communication and social-participation review
  • Sensory and regulation profile
  • Executive-functioning review
  • Academic and functional-needs screening
  • Written educational summary and recommendations for school, home, community, and additional evaluation

A comprehensive package may include:

  • Records review
  • Parent and teacher interviews
  • Direct observation
  • Behavioral data collection
  • Analysis of educational and environmental variables
  • Written FBA report
  • Behavior Intervention Plan
  • Replacement-skill, sensory, and communication recommendations
  • Data-collection forms
  • Staff or caregiver implementation consultation
  • Follow-up progress review

Mosaic Minds may review existing interventions and establish progress-monitoring systems to determine whether supports are appropriately matched to the learner’s needs and producing meaningful improvement.

  • Match between intervention and the identified concern
  • Frequency, duration, and intensity of intervention
  • Adequacy of baseline and progress-monitoring data
  • Consistency and fidelity of implementation
  • Learner response to intervention
  • Need to revise strategies, goals, or supports
  • Need for additional assessment or special education evaluation
  • Methods such as academic probes, behavior-frequency/duration tracking, goal-attainment measures, engagement data, work samples, parent/teacher feedback, fidelity checks, progress summaries, and next-step recommendations

Depending on the service selected, families may receive:

  • Initial consultation and records review
  • Parent, teacher, or provider interviews
  • Educational assessment or screening
  • Standardized rating scales
  • Direct observation and data analysis
  • Student-work review
  • Written educational report
  • Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan
  • Adaptive-behavior and autism-related educational profiles
  • Suggested IEP goals, accommodations, and modifications
  • Sensory, communication, regulation, and progress-monitoring recommendations
  • Recommendations for additional services or evaluation
  • IEP or Section 504 meeting preparation
  • Follow-up consultation

Scope-of-Service Statement

Mosaic Minds provides education-focused assessments, autism-related screenings, adaptive-behavior measures, behavioral and emotional rating scales, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, observations, records reviews, educational program reviews, intervention planning, and educational consultation. These services support families and educational teams in promoting educational access, participation, communication, self-regulation, behavioral success, and appropriate educational planning. CARS-2, GARS-3, Vineland-3, BASC, and similar tools may contribute valuable information, but no single assessment instrument independently establishes a clinical diagnosis. When comprehensive psychological testing or clinical diagnosis is required, Mosaic Minds may recommend collaboration with or referral to an appropriately licensed psychologist, physician, or other qualified clinical professional.