Family Initiative offers free autism screenings at its Cape Coral campus on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. The appointment-based screenings, designed for children through age three, are administered by Family Initiative’s expert clinicians.

Family Initiative is a nonprofit that utilizes evidence-based services, innovative programs, applied training and individualized support plans to empower families and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those in the child welfare system.

In the first several years of life, there are milestones that children should reach in terms of how they interact, learn, speak and act. A delay in certain areas of a child’s innate progression could be a sign of developmental issues, including autism.

Autism can be detected as early as 18 months or younger, but children are often not diagnosed until much later in life. Early detection of ASD allows more time for children and families to learn how to overcome behavioral, social and developmental challenges.

An ASD diagnosis cannot be measured by medical testing, such as a blood test, but rather by a series of testing executed by experienced physicians. Family Initiative’s free autism screenings are conducted by expert clinicians who administer a detailed screening to determine if a child needs further evaluation. The clinicians do not issue an official diagnosis but recommend trusted physicians for families to receive a formal identification.

Family Initiative’s upcoming autism screening date is Saturday, April 16, located at 734 SW 4th Street in Cape Coral.

To register for a free autism screening, email info@fi-florida.org.