Free Autism Screening Resources in Lake County

Megan Morien, M.A., BCBA, LBA Chief Clinical Officer & BCBA

Megan Morien is an experienced Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over two decades of dedicated work in the field of behavior analysis and education. She earned her bachelor’s degree...

What Is Autism Screening, and Why Does It Matter for Your Child?

An autism screening is a proactive step you can take as a parent to identify whether your child may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A screening is not a diagnosis, and it helps to know the difference.

	Screening	Diagnosis
What It Is	A brief questionnaire that flags whether your child may need a closer look	A full clinical evaluation that confirms or rules out autism
What a Positive Result Means	A closer look is recommended, not a diagnosis	Your child has autism spectrum disorder, a confirmed clinical finding
Who Does It	Pediatrician, community health provider, or you (online tools exist)	Licensed clinical psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or pediatric neurologist
How Long It Takes	5 to 20 minutes	Several hours, sometimes across multiple appointments
Cost	Often free, including at well-child visits	Varies, often covered by insurance, sometimes with a referral
What Happens Next	Referral for a full diagnostic evaluation	An individualized treatment and support plan

Understanding the difference between these two steps can help you feel more prepared, and less overwhelmed, as you move through the process.

Screening

The screening process is a quick, accessible first step. It flags whether your child might be on the spectrum and whether you should consider further evaluation. It’s not definitive.

The most common tool is the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), which pediatricians typically administer at the 18, 24, and 30-month well visits. It takes a few minutes, and a positive result doesn’t mean your child has autism; it means the next step is a closer look.

Diagnosis

An autism diagnosis is the formal, comprehensive evaluation that either confirms or rules out autism. It involves licensed clinicians who use standardized tools and assessments like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), alongside developmental history reviews, direct observation, and input from multiple specialists.

A diagnosis takes significantly longer and is much more involved than a screening. The simplest way to think about it is that a screening asks, “Should we look further?” while a diagnosis answers, “Here’s what’s actually going on.” While screenings and evaluations can happen at any age, they’re most common between 18 months and seven years.

Where to Find Free Autism Screenings in Lake County

When you’re worried about your child, the support you’re looking for is closer than you think. In Lake County, there are free autism screening resources available with no referral required for most of them. Here’s what’s available and how to access it:

Child and Family Connections #2: Free Screening for Children Under 3

If your child is under 3, this is your first call. Child and Family Connections (CFC) is Lake County’s official entry point into Illinois’ Early Intervention system. All screenings and evaluations are free, regardless of income or insurance. A care coordinator will walk your family through the next steps and connect you to any therapies or supports your child may need. Any parent can reach out directly, no doctor’s referral needed.

CFC #2 serves all of Lake County, based in Waukegan. English: 847-377-8931 | Spanish: 847-377-8932

Child Find Programs: Free School District Screenings for Children Ages 3–5

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal law requires every public school district in Lake County to identify and evaluate children ages 3 to 5 who may have developmental delays, including concerns related to autism spectrum disorder. This is called Child Find, and it’s completely free. You can request it directly by contacting your local district and asking for a Child Find developmental screening.

Child Find services are managed by your local school district. Contact your district’s special education department and request a developmental screening. Families in Gurnee, Waukegan, Libertyville, and surrounding communities all qualify.

CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”: Free Developmental Monitoring You Can Start Today

The CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. program gives parents free tools to track their child’s developmental milestones from 2 months through 5 years. Their Milestone Tracker app lets you log your child’s progress, see what milestones to watch for at each age, and get tips for encouraging development. If the tracker flags a concern, it generates a summary you can bring directly to your pediatrician or to a program like Child and Family Connections to start the conversation about next steps.

The program is backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is completely free. It’s not autism-specific, but developmental monitoring is one of the most effective ways to catch early signs that a screening or evaluation may be needed.

Download the CDC’s free Milestone Tracker app from Google Play or the App Store.

M-CHAT: The Free Online Autism Screener You Can Use Today

Before making a single call, many parents start here. The M-CHAT is a validated free autism screening tool recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children between 16 and 30 months. It takes about five minutes to complete online and gives you a clear picture of whether a fuller evaluation is worth pursuing. You can bring your results to your pediatrician or directly to CFC to move the process forward.

Take the M-CHAT-R/F now at mchatscreen.com.

What Happens After an Autism Screening in Lake County?

Getting a positive result on a Lake County autism screening means you’re already doing something right. You paid attention, you followed through, and now you have information you can act on.

A positive screen is not a diagnosis. What it does, according to the CDC, is indicate whether a specialist should take a closer look. Think of it as a signal pointing you in the right direction.

Many children who screen positive go on to receive a full evaluation and come out with a much clearer picture of their strengths and what kind of support will help them thrive. You took the first step, and the ones that follow are just as manageable.

What Happens After Your Child’s Screening Results Come Back

A screening that comes back with no concerns is also useful information. It means your child’s development is on track based on what’s been observed so far. You can always request another screening later if new concerns come up. But if your child’s screening flags a concern, here’s what you can expect:

Your pediatrician or screening provider will walk you through what the results mean
You’ll receive a referral for a full developmental evaluation
If your child is under 3, you can contact Child and Family Connections to access free evaluations through Illinois’ Early Intervention program
If your child is 3 or older, your local school district’s Child Find program can evaluate at no cost

If a full evaluation is recommended, you can expect a more in-depth look at your child’s development, carried out by one or more trained specialists, which may include a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, speech-language pathologist, or occupational therapist.

You’ll be asked a lot about your child’s developmental history, and that’s a good thing. Your input is essential. You know your child better than anyone in that room, and the evaluation is built around that knowledge.

Most evaluations follow a similar structure of observation and standardized assessment tools. One of the most commonly used is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), the gold standard for autism diagnosis. Whatever tools your evaluator uses, the goal is the same: to give your family a clear, complete picture of your child’s development and what they need to flourish.

What You’ll Receive After Your Child’s Autism Evaluation

At the end of the evaluation process, you’ll receive a written report. This report will include:

Clinician’s observations
Test results
Your observations and input as a parent
Feedback from teachers or caregivers

The evaluation opens the door to services that can make a meaningful difference to your child’s development, as it’s required for insurance purposes and gives school districts and therapists a foundation to work from. Whether or not your child receives a diagnosis, the report gives you something concrete: recommendations and a path forward.

How to Access Support for Your Child Before the Evaluation Is Complete

Support doesn’t have to wait for a formal diagnosis. If your child is under 3, contact Child and Family Connections now to access Illinois’ Early Intervention program. If your child is 3 or older, reach out to your local Lake County school district and request a Child Find evaluation. Both pathways run independently of the diagnostic process, so you don’t have to wait.

While you’re waiting for your evaluation appointment, start documenting what you’re observing at home. Note the specific behaviors, how often they happen, and the context around them. Short video clips of concerning behaviors are particularly valuable for evaluators who only see your child in a clinical setting. Your pediatrician may also be able to refer your child for speech or occupational therapy in the interim, giving your child meaningful support while the process moves forward.

Explore Why Early Support After an Autism Screening Makes a Measurable Difference

Research consistently shows that the window between 18 and 36 months is real, and what happens inside it matters. A screening is how you find out where your child stands. An evaluation is how you get answers. And early, individualized support is how those answers become progress.

Children make greater progress when their therapies work together. CST Academy has supported families across the Chicagoland area for over 15 years through interdisciplinary care and structured, play-based support. Complete the CST Academy contact form if you’re ready to take the next step.