The 5 Tests I Frequently Use in My Autism Practice

Let me start with a little heads-up: Not everyone is going to agree with what I’m about to share. And honestly, that’s absolutely okay. In this post, I’m pulling back the curtain on the top five tests I use most in my autism practice. These aren’t the trendy tests you see making the rounds on social media. These are tried-and-true tools that actually help me build real, personalized care plans—especially when parents are feeling stuck and don’t know which way is up.

Whether you’re early in your journey or you feel like you’ve tried every test under the sun, these are the tests that give you solid, targeted data—not just more noise and confusion. If you’ve ever wondered what really matters when it comes to testing in the autism world (spoiler: it’s not whatever’s hot on TikTok), keep reading.

Why The Right Tests Matter

There’s so much noise out there when it comes to testing, especially if your child is on the autism spectrum or dealing with tricky, chronic health stuff. One thing I see over and over again is parents getting overwhelmed—someone on social media says you have to run a certain panel, and before you know it, you’ve shelled out hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars and you’re none the wiser.

Here’s what I know after working with kids and young adults for years: you don’t need every test under the sun. You need the right ones, run at the right time, for the right reason.

“These aren’t trendy tests from social media. These are the ones that help me build real personalized care plans, especially when parents are stuck.”

Let’s look at what works, why it matters, and how you can use these tests to cut through the confusion and get real answers.

Test #1: Routine Labs With a Twist

Let’s start with the basics—but not too basic. Routine labs are my first go-to, but I always look at them with a “twist.” What do I mean? Well, I don’t just order the bare minimum. I tailor which labs I include for each child, based on their symptoms, history, supplements, and any meds they’re taking.

What Do Routine Labs Actually Check?

Here’s what usually makes my list:

Blood sugar levels (How’s your child managing energy and metabolism?)
Thyroid panels/hormones (Thyroid issues can quietly mess up everything from energy to mood)
Adrenal response (How’s the stress system working? Cortisol tells us a lot!)
Cortisol levels
Micronutrient levels (Are vitamins & minerals where they should be?)
Inflammatory markers (Is something causing “silent inflammation”?)
Digestive markers (GI struggles often fly under the radar)
CBC (Complete Blood Count) and other basics
Sometimes: sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone—especially around puberty)

Does this sound like a lot for a routine lab? Maybe, but it’s necessary. Kids with complex needs or supplement routines require a closer look. Some of these markers (like electrolytes) get missed, and that omission can mean missing the start of a bigger problem.

Why Kids Sometimes Don’t Get Labs

Here’s a scenario I see often: a child comes into my practice and has never had any significant lab work done. (Or, maybe just checked at a yearly checkup as a quick glance.) This is common, especially for the younger ones. Pediatricians often stick to the basics, and unless a child is showing obvious signs—like chronic fatigue, blue lips/fingers, or repeated illness—iron might be the only thing they test.

But sometimes the biggest imbalances sneak by, especially in complex kids.

The Importance of Clinical Judgment

Running labs isn’t plug-and-play. You have to know how to read them, and more importantly, how to interpret what’s “normal” for your child. Maybe a lab is technically within range, but for your child’s symptoms, it’s off. Or maybe something looks wild, but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.

That’s why it’s so important not just to treat numbers, but to treat the whole child in front of you.

Case Example: When Routine Labs Catch Big Stuff

Let me give you a real world example.

I had a two-year-old referred to my office with repeated unexplained symptoms. Her TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was over 4. If you’re familiar with thyroid health, you know that means her thyroid was under-functioning (hypothyroidism).

For a toddler, this is a big deal! The thyroid regulates the metabolism of every cell. With an underactive thyroid, everything slows down: growth, energy, even cognitive development. Her pediatrician hadn’t even discussed this with the family!

Children, especially little ones, can compensate a lot before symptoms become super obvious. That’s why it’s so critical to have eyes wide open—don’t skip comprehensive basics.

A Few Extra Notes on Insurance and Access

This is important: Routine labs (including my “twist” versions) are often covered by insurance, as long as there’s a proper diagnosis code and necessity. As a naturopathic physician in Connecticut, I have the ability to order and interpret these tests, and send families to familiar labs like Quest or LabCorp. (Check what’s possible in your area—you shouldn’t have to pay hundreds out of pocket for basic labs!)

Test #2: Food Sensitivity Testing

Okay, ready for a little controversy? Let’s talk food sensitivity testing. People get pretty fired up about this—some practitioners love it, others think it’s just a gimmick. But for many of my complex or “stubborn” cases, food sensitivity data has been a real game changer.

“There is science behind it and it does clinically… make a huge difference in a lot of my stubborn cases, especially when it comes to chronic illness in general and largely inflammatory conditions as well.”

Let’s break it down.

Food Sensitivity vs Allergy vs Intolerance

A lot of confusion exists between:

Food allergies: Usually immediate, IgE-mediated (think: anaphylaxis, hives, swelling that happens right after eating)
Food sensitivities: Delayed response, IgG-mediated (reactions can take hours to days, often shows up as fatigue, rashes, GI symptoms, even behavior changes)
Food intolerances: Usually enzyme-related, not immune-mediated (lactose intolerance is a classic example)

Many people lump these all together, but they’re very different, both in testing and in how they impact the body.

How the Best Food Sensitivity Tests Work

Here’s what matters:

Not all food sensitivity tests are created equally. Skip the ones sold on Amazon or pharmacy shelves—they often look fancy, but the tech or the lab is not reliable.
The best tests check for IgG antibodies (Is your immune system treating certain foods like invaders?) and something called complement (It’s like checking for the immune “domino effect” after a food triggers the system).
The more comprehensive options check for things BEYOND just foods—look for tests that include additives, preservatives, and sometimes even things like specific spices or oils.

Many times a parent will say, “My child is sensitive to apples, but only if they eat the skin.” Guess what? Sometimes it’s not even the apple—it’s the pesticide or pollen on the peel. The best food sensitivity panels help tease these things apart.

Gut Barrier Analysis: The Overlooked Bonus

A huge bonus: Some labs offer a “gut barrier” panel along with food sensitivities:

Checks for candida or other types of yeast overgrowth
Looks at lipopolysaccharides (LPS, markers of “dysbiosis”)
Checks for actual “leaky gut” by looking for markers of gut permeability

Why does this matter? If these junctions in the gut lining are loose, stuff gets through that shouldn’t—triggering sensitive immune reactions, all the way up to inflammation in the brain and elsewhere.

So you’re not just seeing which foods might be a trigger, but you’re also getting a window into the gut’s overall health!

Test #3: Comprehensive Stool Analysis

Let’s be honest: stool testing isn’t the most glamorous, but it is often the most revealing test we run. A good comprehensive stool analysis digs deep (literally and figuratively) into the workings of your gut—and by extension, your immune system.

What Does a Stool Analysis Reveal?

These panels look at:

Bacteria (the “good” and the “bad”): Is the microbiome balanced? Are common helpful strains missing? Are unfriendly ones taking over?
Viruses: Are there any meaningful viral infections at play?
Fungi/Yeasts: Candida gets a lot of air time, but there are lots of other yeasts to consider.
Parasites/Worms: Not as common as social media might have you believe, but still worth checking!
Digestive enzymes and fat absorption: Are foods being broken down correctly?
Inflammatory markers: Is the gut lining irritated?
Occult blood: Any blood in the stool?
Short-chain fatty acids: Key indicators of gut health

You get a detailed look at how the gut environment is (or isn’t) supporting growth, immunity, and behavior.

Follow the Gut: Why GI Clues Matter

“When you are in doubt, treat the gut. The gut. Most of our immune system starts there.”

I can’t say it enough—so much of the immune system lives in the gut, and so many “mystery” symptoms (even in the brain and behavior) start there.

But don’t get caught up in the hype: you don’t have to do a parasite cleanse just because you saw it on Instagram. Most of the time, our bodies clear these things silently. Stool testing tells you with actual data when something needs to be addressed.

Test #4: Environmental Testing (Heavy Metals, Mycotoxins & Pollutants)

This is another under-the-radar category, and it’s becoming more important every year. The world our kids are growing up in is loaded with environmental hazards. Toxins can quietly block recovery, stall progress, and throw your body’s biochemistry totally out of whack.

The Hidden Roadblocks in Recovery

Here are the most meaningful environmental tests I run:

Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.)
Mycotoxin testing (mold exposure)
Environmental pollutants
Glyphosate (herbicide) screening

Often, these things slow progress by:

Binding up crucial nutrients so your child’s body can’t use them properly
Inhibiting normal detox pathways
Causing inflammation directly or indirectly
Mucking up metabolic processes

Kids who’ve been “stuck” despite a lot of good intervention sometimes have hidden environmental toxicity.

Why These Tests Are Worth the Cost

Most environmental testing isn’t covered by insurance, and yes—it can get pricey. But when you’re dealing with a true “mystery case” and you just can’t crack the code, environmental data can be the missing piece that brings everything together.

Test #5: Genetic Testing & Oxidative Stress Markers

This category might sound intimidating, but understanding your child’s genetics can truly help you clarify next steps. Think of genes as the “hand you’re dealt”—they don’t determine everything, but they definitely inform how you approach treatment.

What Genetic Testing Looks For

Here are the main categories:

SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms)
- Small “spelling mistakes” in the DNA, sometimes affecting things like methylation, detox, neurotransmitter function, and much more.
Chromosomal Microarray
- Looks for extra or missing chunks of chromosomes.
- It’s a more “black and white” approach—either there’s a duplication/deletion or there isn’t.
Whole Exome Sequencing
- The “deluxe” package. Looks at your child’s entire coding DNA.
- Rarely ordered except by geneticists or in specialty centers, but sometimes extremely revealing.
Oxidative Stress Markers
- Some are genetic, some are functional, and they reveal how well your child’s body is handling oxidative stress at the cellular level.

Genes Aren’t Destiny—They’re Clues

Here’s my take-home message:

“Our genes are not necessarily our destiny, but they do inform the strategy with which we move forward with treatment if we need to.”

If your child has a genetic mutation that could increase risk for something (let’s say, poor methylation), but does NOT have any symptoms of fatigue, sleep trouble, or cognitive issues—we don’t treat the gene, we treat the person. Don’t get caught by practitioners who say you have to treat every marker just because it looks different on a lab report.

Bonus: Tick-Borne Illness Testing

Here in the Northeast (but increasingly all over the world), tick-borne illnesses belong on the shortlist for any mystery, stubborn, or “changing” case. Lyme disease, Babesia, Bartonella—these can hide in the body, mimic other illnesses, and even present without the classic bullseye rash.

Important facts:

Lyme can imitate nearly any other condition (“the Great Imitator”)
Just because your child never had a rash doesn’t mean they don’t have Lyme
Other insects can also transmit Lyme (it’s not just ticks anymore)
These illnesses can be tough to spot and require specialized testing and clinical awareness

If nothing else makes sense and history suggests potential exposure, consider ticking this box.

How Many Tests Do You Really Need?

Pause. Deep breath. If you’re freaking out, thinking, “Do I need to run every test on this list for my child?!” the answer is simple: No. And in fact, you shouldn’t. Testing needs to be targeted and thoughtful, not scattershot.

Here’s a quick framework for deciding what to do next:

Start with symptoms and story. What’s really going on? What’s changed? What feels “off”?
Cover the basics. Routine labs (with that necessary “twist”) give a foundation.
If symptoms point to food or gut, add targeted food sensitivity/gut tests.
If things don’t improve, or if there’s a “brick wall,” look deeper at environment and genetics.
Use your clinician’s judgment (or seek a second opinion) before diving into more advanced (and pricier) panels.

“You don’t need to run every single test out there. You just need to run the ones at the time for what your child is dealing with.”

Your Next Steps: Where to Start

If you found this helpful and want to dive deeper (or want guidance on where to start for your child), I offer one-on-one Food and Behavior Breakthrough Sessions. Don’t just guess—let’s put a real strategy in place.

“You can move forward with the strategy and know what steps to take from there.”

Leave a comment if you’ve ever felt lost in the testing maze, or if one of these tests finally made sense for you.

Remember: Running tests isn’t the answer by itself. Interpreting, understanding, and acting on those results—that’s what builds real, personalized care for your child.