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Questions to take to the neurologist or developmental pediatrician

Verified by Daniel and Jessica Plasencia, parents who navigated this system in Florida. Last reviewed .

A printable list of documents to walk out with. Navigation, not medical advice. No treatment recommendations and no outcome promises. Last verified: August 17, 2026.

What this is / who it is for

This playbook is a question list and a document checklist. You are going to a neurologist, a developmental pediatrician, or another clinician who may write the report that later unlocks FES-UA, Early Steps, insurance prior authorization, a matrix, or an IEP.

It does not recommend a treatment. It does not promise a diagnosis. It does not tell you what hours your child “should” get. We are not doctors.

federal / cdc / learn-the-signs

A screening is not a diagnosis

CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. program helps families watch milestones and ask for screening. It does not diagnose. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening at the 18-month and 24-month well visits, and says children should be referred for help with identified delays without waiting for an autism evaluation to finish.

Verified

Source: CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early.; AAP Autism Spectrum Disorder page · How we verify

florida / early-steps / established-condition

Early Steps wants physician paper for autism as an established condition

Early Steps treats Autism Spectrum Disorder as an established condition. Written confirmation from a licensed physician, or other records from a referral source, is required to establish that eligibility.

Verified

Source: Early Steps Policy Handbook, March 2026, section 3.1.2 · How we verify

Florida CARD centers help families navigate. CARD does not diagnose autism and does not provide ABA. Source: CARD on the Florida hub.

Documents to walk out with

  1. The full diagnostic report (every page). A summary letter is not enough for most applications.
  2. Whether DSM-5-TR criteria and ICD codes will appear on the report or on a separate letter.
  3. Any recommended services or hours the clinician is willing to put in writing. If they will not write hours, do not invent them later.
  4. Letters on letterhead, if they will write them, that name the child, the date, the diagnosis, and the program the letter is for (FES-UA, Early Steps, Medicaid, or a named insurer).
  5. The names of the tests used and who administered them.
  6. Next-step referrals in writing (other clinics, Early Steps, FDLRS, CARD).
  7. How to request addenda if a page is missing or a code was left off.

Printable questions for the visit

The report itself

1. When will the full written report be ready, and how will I receive every page?

2. Will the report include DSM-5-TR wording and ICD codes? If not, will you add a one-page letter that does?

3. Who do I call if a page or a code is missing?

4. Will you send the report to me first, before it goes to a school or an insurer?

What this report can unlock (process, not promises)

5. If we apply for Florida Early Steps (under 36 months), will this report meet their request for written confirmation from a licensed physician of an established condition?

6. If we apply for FES-UA, is this the document you expect us to upload, or do you also write a separate letter?

7. If we will seek insurance or Medicaid prior authorization, what does your office send, and what must I send?

8. Are you willing to write a current summary later for a district matrix or IEP file if the first report is older?

Waitlists, second opinions, and time

9. What is your clinic’s current wait for a return visit or for a full evaluation, as of today?

10. If we want a second opinion, do we need a new referral, and will you release the file?

11. Who else in this region evaluates children if your wait is long? (Write names. Confirm waits yourself.)

12. What should we do while we wait that does not require us to start a treatment you have not recommended?

What to record for later school and payer files

13. Which daily support needs did you observe that should appear in the written report?

14. Which of those needs are not in today’s report and would need another evaluation?

15. May I take notes in the room, and may I have a copy of any rating forms I filled out?

If the clinician recommends hours, write the number they said, the date, and whether it is in the report. If they did not recommend hours, write “none stated.” Do not fill a blank with a number you heard in a waiting room.

What later becomes evidence

  • FES-UA / matrix. The district matrix counts what is written down. See the Matrix playbook.
  • IEP or services plan. A parent can request a district evaluation in writing at any time. See Florida IEP, public and private.
  • Prior authorization. Payers ask for the diagnostic report, a plan, and progress data. Keep the first report.

Documents decide dollars. This visit is where many of those documents start.

What this is not

  • It is not medical advice. We do not recommend a test, a therapy, a medication, or a diagnosis.
  • It is not a promise that a letter will unlock a program. Each program has its own rules.

Common questions

The clinician gave me a verbal diagnosis and said the report will come later.

Ask for the date and the delivery method in writing before you leave. See the first 90 days.

Do I need this appointment if Early Steps or FDLRS already screened us?

A screen is not a diagnosis. A physician letter is what the Early Steps handbook asks for to lock the autism established-condition door.

Sources

Where to go next

The first 90 daysFlorida IEPAll playbooks