The diagnosis of ASD in adulthood can be complex, especially when, historically, supports have been tailored for children. Over the years, Dr. Bal and colleagues have been working to "to adapt and improve [the traditional measures that were developed for the use in children for an ASD diagnosis], or to develop new tools that will better capture the specific difficulties and strengths of adults being evaluated for ASD" (Health, 2021).

The Psychological Services Clinic (PSC) is a specialty training clinic and unit within the RCAAS. Directed by Dr. Vanessa H. Bal, the PSC operates with a two-fold mission: to provide clinical services to adults on the autism spectrum and to act as a training clinic for supervised graduate students to advance access to services for the adult autism community. The clinic emphasizes high-quality training of professionals to serve the underserved.

"I think we have done particularly well in helping increase understanding of autism in children, particularly young children being referred for early developmental concerns, but we need to shift more resources and attention to older individuals with autism," said Dr. Bal in an interview for the Rutgers University Foundation's Endowed Chair Impact series.

For an in-depth overview of the services the PSC offers, please visit the Our Services page. 

Important notes about PSC operations

Please note, we are currently experiencing a high volume of requests. Our waitlist is currently closed. For interest in research opportunities, please complete this RCAAS PSC Research Opportunity Form. If you are experiencing a clinical crisis, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.

If you are in need of services sooner, you may find Autism NJ's list of providers in the state helpful. 

The RCAAS-PSC is a University-based Training Clinic, which means that:

  • All services are provided by graduate students, who are supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist. All sessions are video recorded for supervision and training purposes.
  • In addition to serving the community, the RCAAS and PSC are committed to advancing autism research. To this end, all clients are given the opportunity to sign a research consent to allow information collected through the clinic to be used for research aimed at understanding autism and improving clinical practices.
  • The PSC may be closed during University breaks and holidays, as the clinic follows the Rutgers academic calendar. Please understand that responses may be delayed during these periods.
  • If you are experiencing a clinical emergency and are in need of an immediate assessment, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.