In recent years, the increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has led to a significant rise in the number of children diagnosed with the condition. According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 36 children at the age of 8 is now diagnosed with autism, a sharp rise from one in 59 in 2014 and one in 150 in 2000. This increase has highlighted a critical gap in the availability of diagnostic services, as the number of qualified specialists has not kept pace with demand.
Autism Testing 4 Kids (AT4K), a company based in Grapevine, Texas, has recently secured $2.5 million in funding to address this very challenge. Specializing in autism evaluations, AT4K is aiming to reduce the waiting time for assessments and provide children with faster access to the diagnostic services they need. With its unique focus on in-person evaluations and a mission to expand its services across the United States, AT4K is poised to help fill a growing gap in the autism diagnosis space.
The Growing Demand for Autism Evaluations
The rise in autism diagnoses over the past two decades has brought attention to the need for faster, more efficient autism evaluations. While the increase in diagnoses is a positive sign of heightened awareness and better screening, it has also created significant pressure on the healthcare system to provide timely evaluations. For many families, the road to an autism diagnosis can be long and frustrating, with waitlists that stretch for months or even over a year. Some families face delays of more than two years from the initial screening to the final diagnosis.
Autism evaluations are essential for confirming whether a child is on the spectrum. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is one of the most widely used tools for assessing autism. However, as the number of children needing assessments grows, the number of qualified diagnosticians has remained relatively fixed. This bottleneck is not only delaying the time it takes for children to receive a diagnosis but also delaying their access to critical services and support.
AT4K aims to address this issue by providing in-person autism evaluations, which are widely regarded as the gold standard in autism diagnosis. The company administers the ADOS-2 to ensure that children are evaluated thoroughly, with a focus on accuracy and reliability.
Aiming for Nationwide Expansion
Founded earlier this year, AT4K was established by Chris Tillotson, former CEO of Prospera Healthcare, along with Michael Freytag and James Lamar. Tillotson and his team saw the need for a more accessible and efficient way to provide autism evaluations, especially given the growing demand for such services. In an interview with Autism Business News, Tillotson explained that the company’s goal is to expand its services across the country, bringing much-needed autism evaluations to children in cities nationwide.
“We believe there is a huge gap and a need for the opportunity to get evaluations and assessments to more kids potentially with autism,” Tillotson said. “The global view of AT4K is to expand to multiple cities throughout the U.S. We want to be able to provide opportunities for kids to get evaluated.”
This funding round, which raised $2.5 million, is a crucial step toward achieving that goal. The funds will be used to expand the company’s reach and develop the necessary infrastructure to support in-person autism evaluations in new locations. The equity sale involved 46 investors, signaling strong interest and confidence in the company’s mission.
In-Person Evaluations: Why It Matters
While telehealth has become more popular in many areas of healthcare, AT4K’s focus on in-person autism evaluations sets it apart from other providers in the autism space. Both Tillotson and Freytag believe that in-person evaluations are critical for an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis.
“Just like we look at applied behavior analysis (ABA) as the gold standard for caring for a kid with autism, we believe in-person evaluation is the gold standard to identify whether or not a child is on the spectrum,” said Freytag.
By focusing exclusively on autism evaluations, AT4K’s clinical teams can specialize in this critical area, increasing efficiency and enhancing the accuracy of their assessments. This specialized approach will be key in addressing the shortage of diagnosticians, which has been a major contributor to the long wait times for autism evaluations.
In addition, AT4K’s emphasis on in-person diagnostics aligns with the growing recognition that early identification of autism can significantly improve outcomes for children. Federal reports have emphasized the importance of identifying autism early, noting that children who are diagnosed by age 4 are 60% more likely to receive the support they need compared to those diagnosed later.
Tackling Waitlists and Building Key Partnerships
AT4K’s model is particularly timely, given the widespread problem of waitlists in children’s hospitals and large pediatric centers. Tillotson pointed out that many hospitals and pediatric providers often have waitlists for autism evaluations that span months or even years. For example, one unnamed hospital partner had a waitlist of 1,500 patients. As more families seek out quicker access to services, AT4K aims to fill that gap by providing evaluations in a timely and efficient manner.
Once the company begins its marketing efforts, it expects that many families currently on long waitlists will turn to AT4K for faster autism evaluations. This is particularly important, as children who are diagnosed earlier can begin receiving interventions and therapies sooner, which can improve their long-term outcomes.
Tillotson also sees opportunities for strategic partnerships with larger healthcare providers, such as children’s hospitals, which may help the company expand its reach and establish a presence in different communities. By working with hospitals and other institutions that are experiencing long waitlists, AT4K can help ensure that children who need evaluations can access them more quickly.
“We’re seeing a real need to partner with larger providers, especially hospitals with long waitlists, to help them address the demand for autism evaluations,” Tillotson said. “These partnerships will be critical as we expand into new markets.”
Plans for Expansion and Future Growth
In the short term, AT4K is focused on building the right clinical teams in the cities where it plans to operate. According to Tillotson, the company’s goal is to establish a presence in 10 major U.S. markets over the next two years. As the company expands its operations, it will continue to refine its model to ensure that it can meet the growing demand for autism evaluations without compromising the quality of its services.
AT4K’s expansion will also be fueled by continued investments in both its clinical staff and its operational infrastructure. The company plans to recruit skilled diagnosticians, streamline its processes, and expand its marketing efforts to reach more families in need of evaluations.
Ultimately, the company’s goal is to help children get diagnosed early, enabling them to access the services and support they need to thrive. By reducing wait times and expanding access to in-person autism evaluations, AT4K is positioning itself to play a key role in reshaping the autism diagnosis landscape in the U.S.
As awareness of autism continues to grow and demand for diagnostic services increases, companies like AT4K will be vital in ensuring that more children receive the timely, accurate autism evaluations they need. With its recent funding round, expansion plans, and commitment to high-quality, in-person evaluations, AT4K is poised to make a significant impact on the lives of children and families affected by autism.
