Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an ASD Assessment with Autism Exists Diagnosis Clinic?
**Waitlist is currently open. Medical Referrals Necessary**
(updated July 26, 2024) (Updated June 2, 2025)
(Updated March 12, 2026)
Please have your family doctor, Geneticist, Psychiatrist, or Nurse Practitioner fax us a Referral request for an ASD Assessment.
Once this clinic receives the referring clinic’s faxed referral, this clinic will then give the patient a call within a week. The patient will need to give us a callback if they are not able to answer their phone. A voicemail will be left at the phone number provided if the patient’s voicemail is initialised. Once we are able to reach the patient directly, we will confirm information and review the assessment procedure and office rules. The patient will then be placed on the waitlist for the assessment appointments. The current waitlist is approximately 12-18mths (updated March 12, 2026). They will be contacted again directly by our office when we book them for the assessment.
The assessment typically consists of a introductory telephone call, followed by 3-4 appointments, each between 2-3hrs in length. Approximately totalling 9-12 hours overall.
Depending on the patient’s situation, we may perform an additional disability assessment. This consists of an additional 2 or more, 2.5 to 3 hour appointments. This is most often done in order to collect information should the patient require a letter of support if the family doctor is considering a disability application such as for insurance, CPP-Disability, AISH or the like.
How do I find out my status on the waitlist?
If you already registered on AvaConnect.ca, which is our secure patient portal, please feel free to message us on it and we will respond promptly back to you. If you are not yet registered on AvaConnect and prefer to message instead of call, please call our office first to set that up, and we can then message on AvaConnect. You can also call our office at 403 993 2456. If you are leaving a message, please clearly include your last and first name as well as a number to get back to you at.
Is my ASD Assessment covered under Alberta Health Services?
Yes, your ASD Assessment is covered under your Alberta Health Care. Medical Assessments are typically covered under your Alberta Health Care. However, many other services are not covered through Alberta Health Care.
Please look at our Services tab for other services provided that are NOT covered under Alberta Health Care, and is patient pay only. Please note that fees for uninsured services may change without notice.
My medical referral has been faxed over, but I have not received a call. Why?
Please be patient. This clinic will call the patient at the phone number provided on the referral request within a week of receiving the faxed referral. Sometimes, the patient’s phone number provided is invalid or incorrect, or the fax did not go through. Please feel free to call us to check on the status of your medical referral and to make sure the contact information provided on your referral is correct. Please have your Alberta Health Care number ready when you call.
Can I have my prescription renewed by the pharmacy?
You must book an appointment with the clinic to get a Prescription renewal. Refilling a Prescription without a consult with the medical physician is unsafe medical practice. It is recommended to book your Prescription refill appointment at least 10 days before your prescription runs out. We can accommodate a tele-appointment for ongoing prescription refills that have been originally prescribed by a physician within our clinic.
Can I book my appointments or ask questions about my medical file by email?
No, you cannot. You must call to book an appointment.
Email and Text Messaging do not meet the Health Information Privacy Legislation and are strongly discouraged as a means of communication. Email requests for medical services will not be answered. Once you are registered as a patient with this clinic, you will be invited via email to AVAconnect. AVAconnect is a secure, online, patient/clinic portal which connects our patients to their physician and medical information easily. Note that this clinic does not allow appointment bookings with AVAconnect at this time.
I do not need an ASD assessment. I need therapy or I need another kind of medical assessment for eg: ADHD; or a prescription for a medical condition like a cold or infection; or a consult for a sprained ankle, blood work etc. Can I book an appointment for any of these?
I want ongoing care for my ASD. Does Autism Exists Diagnosis Clinic provide ongoing care for ASD patients?
No. This service is dedicated to the assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults and assessment of the resultant disability due to their Autism. Long-term management is beyond the scope of our practice. Most of the limited adult Autism supports are managed through charitable organizations such as Autism Calgary, Autism Society of Alberta, the Sinneave Foundation, the Society for Autism Supports and Services (etc.)
This clinic is able to provide you letters of Support to your family doctor or Nurse Practitioner (NP) that is managing your ongoing care. Your provider needs to send as a Referral Request for a Letter of Support. Letters of support can help if your family doctor/NP is considering a disability application such as for insurance, CPP-Disability, AISH or the like. There is a fee for Letters of Support as it is an uninsured service.
Support Letters. What are the steps to attain one? I understand this service is patient pay as it is not covered by Alberta Health.
This clinic is able to provide you letters of Support to your family doctor or Nurse Practitioner (NP) that is managing your ongoing care. The pre-requisite is that you must have had your ASD diagnosis formalized by one of our physicians in Autism Exists Diagnosis Clinic. Your provider then needs to fax us a Referral Request for a Support Letter. Letters of support can help if your family doctor/NP is considering a disability application such as for insurance, CPP-Disability, AISH or the like. There is a fee for Support Letters as it is an uninsured service.
Once the Referral Request has been received via fax by our clinic, we will call the patient within a week of receiving it. We will then go over the protocols, such as the duration, appointments needed and the fee for this uninsured service and to confirm if you would still like to go ahead with it. If so, you will be booked with the next available physician on our team for a telephone or in person consult. This consult is 10mins where a plan/next steps are determined. The consult is covered under Alberta Health Care at no cost to you. If the physician determines your eligibility for a support letter, an appointment will be arranged to draft a support letter suited for your specific circumstances. This appointment typically takes 60-90mins.
I want to give permission for a family member or friend to help me with my medical issues and booking appointments
You will need to complete this Release of Information Consent Form and sign and send it to us via Avaconnect or FAX. You may also mail it to us or drop it off in person at our clinic.