How much does an office visit cost? What about testing and other costs?  Please call the office for a discussion of fees for office visits and testing.  Costs for getting started with treatment are greater than maintenance treatment. Usually, some of the cost of office visits and testing is covered by the patient’s insurance plan. There is also usually some expense for nutritional supplements, which are necessary to correct nutritional deficiencies, and are the foundation for more advanced treatments.   We do offer finance plans and can spread out the costs of treatment when needed. We always try to work within your means.

Do you accept insurance?  Our providers are not on any insurance preferred provider lists. However, many PPO or POS plans will reimburse our patients a percentage of their office visits, and will cover some of the tests that we order. Some appointments can be done over the phone, but insurance does not reimburse for phone appointments. We will provide you with a billing statement that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Kaiser and HMO’s will not cover our services, but we are often able to work with your child’s pediatrician to get some of the required testing done through your insurance. 

Are there any available sources of financial assistance?  The VAST Foundation (www.vastfoundation.org) is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Mielke which helps provide financial assistance to families seeking biomedical treatment for their autistic child in the Tri-Valley. TACA (www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/fic/family-scholarship-program.htm) and Generation Rescue (www.generationrescue.org/rescue-family-grant.html) also offer financial grants to families in need. Lend4Health (www.lend4health.blogspot.com) facilitates community-funded, interest-free micro-loans as a creative funding option for individuals and groups seeking loans for the biomedical treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum and related disorders. Please inquire at the office about other potential options for financial assistance. 

How long are the appointments?  The initial intake appointment is usually two hours long, but can be adjusted depending on individual need. In addition, you will usually be at the clinic for at least another half an hour beyond that time to allow for the blood draw and the checkout meeting. The first follow-up appointment is approximately two months later and can range from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the number of lab tests to review, etc.  After the first two, most appointments are half an hour or one hour in length, depending on the needs of the child. We also offer 15-minute appointments for quick questions in between regular appointments.  

How often will we need to be seen?  After the first two lengthy appointments, most patients need appointments approximately every two – three months. After they are stabilized, we may only need to see them once or twice a year. 

How can I get in touch with the clinic between appointments if I have a question?  For scheduling or supplement ordering information, you may call the office and speak with a staff member. You can also email us with quick questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . There is a nominal $15 charge for answering email questions between appointments, although simple questions that take less than 5 minutes to answer and do not involve chart or lab review are offered without a charge. Since emails are not confidential, the email release form must be signed before email communication is allowed. You can also schedule a 15 – 30 minute phone or in-person appointment to discuss any questions that you may have. 

What do we need to bring to our appointments?  For the first two appointments, please bring a note pad and pen to take notes, and if possible bring an audio recorder as well. There is a lot of information given at our appointments, and you will need to be able to write it down, and possibly even listen to it again if you choose. Audio recordings are for your own personal use only. For the first appointment, also bring copies of any previous medical tests, and a current supplement and medication list (if your child is already taking these).  Please have the name of the supplement or medication, dose in milligrams, and the number of pills taken per day listed. For example: Zinc, 20 mg capsule, 1 capsule twice a day.  We also need a copy of your child’s immunization record and a copy of the insurance card. Bring snacks and drinks and favorite toys or movies to the initial two hour appointment, so that your child is more comfortable.  Be sure to reference the New Patient Checklist on the website (www.developmentalspectrums.com) and in your new patient packet for a complete list of things to do before your appointment. In general, it is recommended not to bring the child to the second two-hour appointment unless the child is older and able to participate, because we will be reviewing extensive lab test results at that time.  

What kinds of tests will you do?  We order blood, urine, stool, and often hair tests. We usually draw the blood tests here at our office, but sometimes those can be done at a lab near your home. The urine, stool, and hair samples will be collected by you at home, and packaged and shipped directly to the laboratories in specially designed test kits. Just follow the instructions in the test kit box. 

My child hates blood draws. Will this be a problem at your clinic?  First off, our phlebotomy services are second to none. We pride ourselves in creating a comfortable and gentle atmosphere for laboratory blood draws. Our team is expertly trained in working with children on the spectrum and we will do our best to make sure the experience is a good one. We need to draw blood to evaluate many different systems in the body to find evidence of imbalances, and to determine what medical issues are a priority for your child. Everyone is different, and we customize our treatment plan to your child’s test results. Some of the testing is repeated later to make sure our treatments are working and to see if changes need to be made.

If we’ve done tests someplace else, can we use them?  Please bring copies of any pertinent medical testing done in the past to your appointment. We will review these tests. If the results are more than 3 - 4 months old, some of them may have to be repeated.

Will I get copies of all the test results?  Yes. You will get copies of all of your test results at your follow-up appointments. 

How long does it take to get the test results?  This depends partly on how fast the tests are collected and sent out. Most test results come back between one to five weeks after they are shipped, depending on the test. It is important to make sure that your test results are back before your next appointment, so that we can discuss the results.   

Revised 6-27-09