WELCOME PARENTS!

Let’s Empower You To be The Expert Of Your Autistic Child Using My concierge, Whole Family™ Approach

**Available to patients in 30+ states nationwide. Click to see where.
concierge therapist

Did you know...

autism can be diagnosed in children
as young as 14 months of age?

And, intervention services can start even younger.

And, intervention services can start even younger.

And, intervention services can start even younger.

So often parents are told to "wait and see" despite having concerns about their child's development.

Stop waiting and let’s start now!

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For Personal Growth & Empowerment For Autism Parents

here's How We can Help

PRIVATE CONSULT

CHILD THERAPY

PARENT COACHING

Private Consult

Autism Diagnosis and/or Specialized Clinical Recommendations

this is for you if:

You have a lot of questions and need clarity on next steps.

We conduct a one-on-one intensive session that is completely tailored to your family’s needs.

Whether you are needing an evaluation to determine if your child has autism or you are needing guidance on which services you should prioritize for your child , these session(s) will be utilized to address your goals. These sessions can also be used to learn more about autism (i.e., psychoeducation).

For diagnostic evaluations, we specialize in early diagnosis and will evaluate children as soon as 12-14 months of age. It is important to note that diagnostic evaluations are completed via telehealth and the process may not be appropriate for all children. This determination will be discussed during your initial inquiry call.

CONTACT NOW
concierge services for autism

Therapy

NOTE: All of our therapy services integrate The Whole Family Approach™, which includes supporting you, other caregivers, and your autistic child’s siblings. . We know that an autism diagnosis impacts the entire family so we want to support you beyond your autistic child’s therapy needs and provide a safe space for you to process your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

autism diagnosis online
autism diagnosis pittsburgh

For Young Children

this is for you if:

You are wanting naturalistic and play-based therapy services for your autistic toddler or preschooler.

Or maybe your child is at elevated likelihood of having autism (often when a diagnostic determination cannot be made) and you want to be proactive.

This early intervention model used in our practice is focused on teaching you how to support your child’s social communication during everyday activities. It is a naturalistic approach and emphasizes following the child’s lead.

Goals of the intervention are specific to your child, with focus typically on increasing functional communication and reducing aggressive behavior when relevant. Psychoeducation about autism and neurodiversity are provided.

autism diagnosis pittsburgh

For School-Aged Children

this is for you if:

You are needing support for your autistic child’s (up to age 12) co-occurring anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and/or behavioral challenges.

Our approach focuses on providing your autistic child with more effective emotion regulation skills and reducing anxious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We empower you as the parent to have the tools and strategies to help your child through any situation.

Our evidence-based intervention approaches incorporate mindfulness, systematic exposure, cognitive restructuring (when developmentally appropriate), emotional awareness and regulation, and positive reinforcement.

CONTACT NOW

Coaching

For Young Children

this is for you if:

You have a good support team for your autistic child but feel like you aren’t getting the information you need and/or as a parent you feel unsupported as you navigate this autism journey.

Parent coaching is a great avenue for parents who want to promote their own personal growth and development alongside their autistic child. Individual and group options are available worldwide through Dr. Tay Coaching, a related but distinct entity from Dr. Tay Concierge Clinical Care.

Coaching focuses on empowering you as the parent to listen to your intuition, make decisions, and advocate for your child(ren); supporting you to connect with all members of your family and ask for support when needed; and learning effective emotional processing so that you can be more present and find joy in the moments that matter most.

Dr. Tay developed this extension of The Whole Family Approach™ because she realized how limited the support is for parents of autistic children and recognizes how working with the parent impacts the child’s progress in therapy and their overall development.

So whether or not you need therapy services for your child, we have options to provide you more comprehensive care; The Whole Family Approach™ is included in our therapy packages or you can opt to do coaching with us while your child receives care from other providers.

CONTACT NOW
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concierge therapy for children with autism

Meet Dr. Tay

child psychologist with 10+ years of experience in early diagnosis and intervention of autism.

I bring concierge, high touch services to autistic children using my Whole Family Approach™ with an emphasis on improving quality of life for all family members.

You need support that improves the quality of life for all family members - an autism diagnosis and support does not belong in a bubble.

You’ll be empowered as a parent to become the expert of your autistic child and have the skills and strategies to support them through their development through this unique and high touch experience.

Mental health care for your child and family is a big investment of your time, energy, and finances so I believe in you getting the best care possible.

I keep a small and intimate caseload, which allows me to be available for your family in ways that other practitioners cannot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

By definition, a concierge practice provides mental health services which are intentionally offered on a small scale. This means more individualized and attentive care for your family. This cutting edge approach was inspired by concierge services provided in other medical fields, such as primary care. Therapy services are a big investment of your time, energy, and finances so we believe in you getting the best care possible. With this you receive high touch services with high quality care that go well beyond what you can receive in traditional therapies. 

The specifics of this model will be determined on a case-by-case basis dependent on your family’s needs. You will be able to reach your provider in between sessions and get support. All messages will be returned within 24-48 hours, but often sooner. You will have a weekly appointment slot that will not be filled by other patients and you have flexibility to move your appointment as needed (we do ask for cancellations or rescheduling be done at least 24 hours before your appointment). You and your family will have the entire duration of the appointment to ask questions and get the necessary guidance.

No, the practice is out-of-network with all insurance providers. Services are self-pay. A superbill can be provided for private consults and therapy services upon request. A superbill allows you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement of mental health services. It is important to note that we provide premium care and it is not typical for the full cost of our services to be reimbursed. Also certain services are not reimbursed by insurance, such as in-home sessions.

Given the concierge nature of this practice, packages are often created based on the family’s needs. For recurring services, such as therapy and coaching, we operate on a monthly retainer model.

Please schedule a free consultation to learn more about the pricing for all offerings. 

For clinical services (i.e., private consults and therapy), you will receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your child’s mental health services will cost.  More details about Good Faith Estimates and the No Surprises Act can be found here. In addition to discussing this information via the consult call, we are required by law to provide an estimate of the bill for medical items and services for patients not using insurance. The estimate will include services for one year (50 weeks), although services are typically shorter in duration

We recognize that our concierge-based services are a financial investment and are not possible for all families. We are always looking for ways to serve families at a reduced cost or for free.

Currently, we have a Facebook community for parents of autistic children as well as those who have concerns about autism. Inside we support and empower you as the parent. You can join for FREE here.

We also have a FREE resource for families who have concerns about their child’s development and/or mental health. You can listen to the podcast episode and download a free resource guide here.

Our services occur via telehealth. Options for in-person care are available on a case-by-case basis and can be discussed during the inquiry call. Research has supported that telehealth services are both effective and feasible, including for young children. There are also benefits to telehealth services; for example, young children are often most comfortable with a familiar environment and older children doing systematic exposure for anxiety are able to take their therapist along for more real-life exposures. The specific arrangements for sessions will be determined in consultation with your child’s therapist. Typically, parents are asked to be present for the duration of the session so they can learn the skills alongside their child and support their child in practicing skills outside of session. Some children are able to participate for the entire session, whereas others may participate for a portion of the session and the remainder of the time is spent working directly with the parent.

Put simply, we believe in neurodiversity and are committed to ongoing education. All services will include psychoeducation about autism, with a strong emphasis on incorporating the neurodiversity framework. We believe in a collaborative approach to learning, including viewing you (as the parent) as being the expert of your child and listening to autistic voices about their lived experiences. The field of autism is constantly evolving and we believe that continued learning - both professionally and personally - is essential to providing high quality care.

This practice was designed to serve the needs of autistic families and priority will be given to those families. However, we work with families with other presenting problems on a case-by-case basis. We know it can be difficult to find services for your young child. We will do our best to find you a clinician that can work with your family. Please inquire for more information via the contact form.

PRIVATE CONSULT

These really are intended to answer your questions as a parent. Common questions include: 

  • Does my child have autism?
  • What will my child’s life look like now that they have been diagnosed?
  • Which intervention approaches are the best and can you help me find a local provider?
  • I am really concerned about X, what can I do about it?

Together, we will discuss your questions and concerns. This is a safe space to ask anything and we will answer as long as it is within our area of expertise as child psychologists. You will leave with tangible recommendations to support your child.

All private consults include at least 2 hours of face-to-face time with a psychologist as well as one-week of direct access to follow up with your provider following the final session to address questions as they arise. Diagnostic assessments typically involve more face-to-face time and sessions will occur over the course of several weeks. For all private consults, a summary of the discussion will be provided as relevant and will include specific recommendations for your child. If your child is being diagnosed with autism, you will receive a clinical report that officially documents the diagnosis as well as testing results, which include observations and parent-report of autism symptoms and scores measuring adaptive behavior and/or developmental functioning.

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is the gold-standard tool for assessing autism. Because assessments are conducted virtually, use of the ADOS is not feasible. The ADOS was not designed and validated as a tool in telehealth settings. Dr. Tay has over a decade of experience using the ADOS and has achieved clinical and research reliability. Ultimately, the ADOS allows for an in-depth observation of autistic behaviors, but there are other means in obtaining these same observations when a clinician is extensively trained.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians had to quickly transition their services to telehealth. We learned that conducting autism diagnostic assessments via telehealth were both feasible and effective. There have been numerous research studies on the use of telehealth assessments and the conclusions were highly consistent that the pros outweigh any cons. This research can be provided upon request and any specific questions regarding telehealth assessments can be discussed on a free consult call.

THERAPY

Therapy services are available for early childhood as well as school age (under 12 years). Some examples of interventions we use are naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs), mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), systematic exposure, and parent management training. All therapeutic approaches are evidence-based, meaning there is research to support their effectiveness. We tailor the intervention model for each child to ensure they are getting the support they need (e.g., we may incorporate mindfulness with systemic exposure to address anxiety).

No. The early intervention approaches we use are considered naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions, or NDBIs. This means all our approaches are focussed on the child learning through everyday activities and doing activities they enjoy. We focus on promoting quality of life rather than trying to “normalize” a child’s behavior. We value the information that autistic adults have shared and use a neurodiverse-affirming approach; for example, we do not try to interrupt stimming behaviors unless they are causing harm to oneself or others.

We believe that parents should educate themselves about ABA and make an informed decision for their family. We recognize and respect autistic self-advocate’s perspective on ABA surrounding the traumatic nature of the therapy. We also have seen families who were able to successfully advocate for the inclusion and exclusion of certain approaches and partner with therapists who were willing to be responsive to the critiques of the ABA field. Subsequently, we are willing to have a candid conversation with families about the pros and cons of ABA so that they can make a decision that is best for their child. We are open to providing alternative therapy recommendations as well as educating parents on what and how to communicate with their ABA provider should they wish to go that route.

One of the biggest advantages of a concierge practice is that you will have direct access to your provider. You can message them on the agreed upon platform and they will respond within 24-48 hours, many times that same day. We actually encourage you to reach out with questions and for support in between sessions! We find that this ongoing communication results in faster results.

PARENT COACHING

Dr. Tay has worked in the autism field for over a decade and has observed how parents of autistic children are relatively unsupported. Most current approaches focus exclusively on helping the child to make gains. Supporting the parent is beneficial for the whole family. Through coaching, we focus on your thoughts and feelings surrounding your child’s autism diagnosis at every stage of the journey. By having effective emotional processing and supportive thoughts, you are able to show up for your family fully as well as model these skills to your child(ren). We know from research that children learn more efficiently when they see caregivers modeling the desired behaviors and strategies. 

Therapy involves identifying and treating a clinical diagnosis, such as generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder. Therapy often focuses on the past and present to understand how behaviors developed over time and how to shift them. Coaching does not have any clinical component and primarily focuses on how to move forward. Together we will work identifying your current thought patterns and feelings to gain clarity on what is serving you and what is sabotaging you. We will work to have your thoughts and feelings in alignment with what you truly want. This coaching model is a component of your child’s therapy in order to support you so you can support your child best; a clinical assessment will not be conducted to assess your symptoms and potential diagnoses.

Absolutely! Our coaching model aims to support the parent, which is not typically a component of a traditional therapy model. The whole family approach aims to support the family unit of the autistic child. Although your child participating in therapy is an important part of this process, those services can be provided by another therapist. Working with us will focus on all the rest. Parent coaching can be provided through a one-to-one model or we also have a group model available which allows you to connect and learn from other parents of autistic children. All coaching includes a video-based curriculum to help introduce topics so that we can spend sessions together discussing how the skills and strategies apply to your life.

GENERAL

By definition, a concierge practice provides mental health services which are intentionally offered on a small scale. This means more individualized and attentive care for your family. This cutting edge approach was inspired by concierge services provided in other medical fields, such as primary care. Therapy services are a big investment of your time, energy, and finances so we believe in you getting the best care possible. With this you receive high touch services with high quality care that go well beyond what you can receive in traditional therapies. 

The specifics of this model will be determined on a case-by-case basis dependent on your family’s needs. You will be able to reach your provider in between sessions and get support. All messages will be returned within 24-48 hours, but often sooner. You will have a weekly appointment slot that will not be filled by other patients and you have flexibility to move your appointment as needed (we do ask for cancellations or rescheduling be done at least 24 hours before your appointment). You and your family will have the entire duration of the appointment to ask questions and get the necessary guidance.

No, the practice is out-of-network with all insurance providers. Services are self-pay. A superbill can be provided for private consults and therapy services upon request. A superbill allows you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement of mental health services. It is important to note that we provide premium care and it is not typical for the full cost of our services to be reimbursed. Also certain services are not reimbursed by insurance, such as in-home sessions.

Given the concierge nature of this practice, packages are often created based on the family’s needs. For recurring services, such as therapy and coaching, we operate on a monthly retainer model.

Please schedule a free consultation to learn more about the pricing for all offerings. 

For clinical services (i.e., private consults and therapy), you will receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your child’s mental health services will cost.  More details about Good Faith Estimates and the No Surprises Act can be found here. In addition to discussing this information via the consult call, we are required by law to provide an estimate of the bill for medical items and services for patients not using insurance. The estimate will include services for one year (50 weeks), although services are typically shorter in duration

We recognize that our concierge-based services are a financial investment and are not possible for all families. We are always looking for ways to serve families at a reduced cost or for free.

Currently, we have a Facebook community for parents of autistic children as well as those who have concerns about autism. Inside we support and empower you as the parent. You can join for FREE here.

We also have a FREE resource for families who have concerns about their child’s development and/or mental health. You can listen to the podcast episode and download a free resource guide here.

Our services occur via telehealth. Options for in-person care are available on a case-by-case basis and can be discussed during the inquiry call. Research has supported that telehealth services are both effective and feasible, including for young children. There are also benefits to telehealth services; for example, young children are often most comfortable with a familiar environment and older children doing systematic exposure for anxiety are able to take their therapist along for more real-life exposures. The specific arrangements for sessions will be determined in consultation with your child’s therapist. Typically, parents are asked to be present for the duration of the session so they can learn the skills alongside their child and support their child in practicing skills outside of session. Some children are able to participate for the entire session, whereas others may participate for a portion of the session and the remainder of the time is spent working directly with the parent.

Put simply, we believe in neurodiversity and are committed to ongoing education. All services will include psychoeducation about autism, with a strong emphasis on incorporating the neurodiversity framework. We believe in a collaborative approach to learning, including viewing you (as the parent) as being the expert of your child and listening to autistic voices about their lived experiences. The field of autism is constantly evolving and we believe that continued learning - both professionally and personally - is essential to providing high quality care.

This practice was designed to serve the needs of autistic families and priority will be given to those families. However, we work with families with other presenting problems on a case-by-case basis. We know it can be difficult to find services for your young child. We will do our best to find you a clinician that can work with your family. Please inquire for more information via the contact form.

PRIVATE CONSULT

These really are intended to answer your questions as a parent. Common questions include: 

  • Does my child have autism?
  • What will my child’s life look like now that they have been diagnosed?
  • Which intervention approaches are the best and can you help me find a local provider?
  • I am really concerned about X, what can I do about it?

Together, we will discuss your questions and concerns. This is a safe space to ask anything and we will answer as long as it is within our area of expertise as child psychologists. You will leave with tangible recommendations to support your child.

All private consults include at least 2 hours of face-to-face time with a psychologist as well as one-week of direct access to follow up with your provider following the final session to address questions as they arise. Diagnostic assessments typically involve more face-to-face time and sessions will occur over the course of several weeks. For all private consults, a summary of the discussion will be provided as relevant and will include specific recommendations for your child. If your child is being diagnosed with autism, you will receive a clinical report that officially documents the diagnosis as well as testing results, which include observations and parent-report of autism symptoms and scores measuring adaptive behavior and/or developmental functioning.

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is the gold-standard tool for assessing autism. Because assessments are conducted virtually, use of the ADOS is not feasible. The ADOS was not designed and validated as a tool in telehealth settings. Dr. Tay has over a decade of experience using the ADOS and has achieved clinical and research reliability. Ultimately, the ADOS allows for an in-depth observation of autistic behaviors, but there are other means in obtaining these same observations when a clinician is extensively trained.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians had to quickly transition their services to telehealth. We learned that conducting autism diagnostic assessments via telehealth were both feasible and effective. There have been numerous research studies on the use of telehealth assessments and the conclusions were highly consistent that the pros outweigh any cons. This research can be provided upon request and any specific questions regarding telehealth assessments can be discussed on a free consult call.

THERAPY

Therapy services are available for early childhood as well as school age (under 12 years). Some examples of interventions we use are naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs), mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), systematic exposure, and parent management training. All therapeutic approaches are evidence-based, meaning there is research to support their effectiveness. We tailor the intervention model for each child to ensure they are getting the support they need (e.g., we may incorporate mindfulness with systemic exposure to address anxiety).

No. The early intervention approaches we use are considered naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions, or NDBIs. This means all our approaches are focussed on the child learning through everyday activities and doing activities they enjoy. We focus on promoting quality of life rather than trying to “normalize” a child’s behavior. We value the information that autistic adults have shared and use a neurodiverse-affirming approach; for example, we do not try to interrupt stimming behaviors unless they are causing harm to oneself or others.

We believe that parents should educate themselves about ABA and make an informed decision for their family. We recognize and respect autistic self-advocate’s perspective on ABA surrounding the traumatic nature of the therapy. We also have seen families who were able to successfully advocate for the inclusion and exclusion of certain approaches and partner with therapists who were willing to be responsive to the critiques of the ABA field. Subsequently, we are willing to have a candid conversation with families about the pros and cons of ABA so that they can make a decision that is best for their child. We are open to providing alternative therapy recommendations as well as educating parents on what and how to communicate with their ABA provider should they wish to go that route.

One of the biggest advantages of a concierge practice is that you will have direct access to your provider. You can message them on the agreed upon platform and they will respond within 24-48 hours, many times that same day. We actually encourage you to reach out with questions and for support in between sessions! We find that this ongoing communication results in faster results.

PARENT COACHING

Dr. Tay has worked in the autism field for over a decade and has observed how parents of autistic children are relatively unsupported. Most current approaches focus exclusively on helping the child to make gains. Supporting the parent is beneficial for the whole family. Through coaching, we focus on your thoughts and feelings surrounding your child’s autism diagnosis at every stage of the journey. By having effective emotional processing and supportive thoughts, you are able to show up for your family fully as well as model these skills to your child(ren). We know from research that children learn more efficiently when they see caregivers modeling the desired behaviors and strategies. 

Therapy involves identifying and treating a clinical diagnosis, such as generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder. Therapy often focuses on the past and present to understand how behaviors developed over time and how to shift them. Coaching does not have any clinical component and primarily focuses on how to move forward. Together we will work identifying your current thought patterns and feelings to gain clarity on what is serving you and what is sabotaging you. We will work to have your thoughts and feelings in alignment with what you truly want. This coaching model is a component of your child’s therapy in order to support you so you can support your child best; a clinical assessment will not be conducted to assess your symptoms and potential diagnoses.

Absolutely! Our coaching model aims to support the parent, which is not typically a component of a traditional therapy model. The whole family approach aims to support the family unit of the autistic child. Although your child participating in therapy is an important part of this process, those services can be provided by another therapist. Working with us will focus on all the rest. Parent coaching can be provided through a one-to-one model or we also have a group model available which allows you to connect and learn from other parents of autistic children. All coaching includes a video-based curriculum to help introduce topics so that we can spend sessions together discussing how the skills and strategies apply to your life.