Families can lose months contacting a door that does not fit their need. A parent might call several neuropsychologists for a 2-year-old, wait on a child psychiatrist for something a CLSC could have started, or expect the daycare's special educator to "give the diagnosis". This page sorts the titles you will hear in Quebec into three questions: who can sign, who assesses a piece, who supports.
Who can sign an autism diagnosis in Quebec
Two professions: physicians and psychologists. The Fédération québécoise de l'autisme states that physicians and psychologists can conclude that an autism spectrum disorder is present, often working with a multidisciplinary team. Autisme Montréal puts it as psychiatrists and specialized psychologists. 1, 2 A neuropsychologist is a psychologist with extra training, so they count. A speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist does not sign the diagnosis, however expert they are.
That fact answers many "which door" questions. If you need the diagnosis, you need a physician or a psychologist. Everyone else is the team around them or the support after.
The table
| Title (French) | What they do for your child | Can they diagnose autism? | Public or private | Knock here when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family doctor or pediatrician (médecin de famille, pédiatre) | First conversation, developmental check, referral to CLSC and hospital | Yes, in principle; many refer to a specialized team | Public (RAMQ) | First. You need the referral documented. |
| Developmental pediatrician (pédiatre du développement) | Medical assessment of development, co-occurring conditions, sometimes leads the team | Yes | Mostly public, long waits | Usually assigned by the hospital team rather than chosen by the family. |
| Child psychiatrist (pédopsychiatre) | Diagnosis, medication for co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, sleep | Yes | Public, some private | Complex picture, older child, medication questions. |
| Psychologist (psychologue) | Autism assessment with standardized tools, report, recommendations; some do therapy | Yes | Public (hospital, CLSC) and private | A common choice for private assessments. Ask about early-childhood experience. |
| Neuropsychologist (neuropsychologue) | Same as above plus cognitive testing: attention, memory, reasoning, learning | Yes | Mostly private, some hospital | School-age, ADHD or learning questions, mixed profile. |
| Speech-language pathologist (orthophoniste) | Language, social communication, AAC, feeding | No, contributes to the assessment | CLSC, hospital, CPE consultants, private | Any language or communication concern. Start early. |
| Occupational therapist (ergothérapeute) | Sensory processing, motor skills, daily routines, play | No, contributes | CLSC, CIUSSS rehab, private | Sensory, feeding, dressing, sleep-routine challenges. |
| Psychoeducator (psychoéducateur) | Behaviour and adaptation in daily settings, parent coaching, routines | No | CLSC, CIUSSS, school, private | Meltdowns, transitions, daycare or home routines. |
| Special education technician (TES, technicien en éducation spécialisée) | Hands-on support in CPE or class, visual schedules, applying the plan | No | CPE, school | Often the adult working most closely with your child day to day. Ask what they need from you. |
| Social worker (travailleur social) | Navigation, family support, respite, Family Support Program, forms | No | CLSC, CIUSSS | Money, respite, paperwork, not knowing where to turn. Can be your case manager. |
Public wait times differ widely across these doors. Autisme Montréal reports 6 to 24 months for public hospital autism assessment. 2 The CLSC's own services (Agir tôt, early stimulation, SLP or OT screening) may start sooner than the diagnostic hospital queue, and do not require a diagnosis. See Waiting is not wait-and-see.
Which door first, by situation
Child under 3, you are worried, no referral yet. Family doctor or pediatrician for the referral, CLSC the same week for Agir tôt. A neuropsychologist is usually not the first step for a toddler; if you go private, a psychologist experienced with toddlers is often a better fit.
Referral made, waiting. The CLSC social worker or intake nurse is often a useful contact. Ask them to name your case manager. Add an SLP if language is the main worry, an OT if sensory or feeding is.
Report in hand. The CLSC or CIUSSS access desk (guichet d'accès DI-TSA-DP) for specialized services, the CPE director for support in the room, and at age 4 or 5 the school's direction for the plan d'intervention. See Agir tôt, CLSC, CPE and school.
Forms. For the Retraite Québec Supplement for Handicapped Children, the professional's part is completed by "the professional (physician, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, etc.) who has assessed or treated your child and is most familiar with the child's condition". For the federal Disability Tax Credit, medical doctors and nurse practitioners can certify any category, and psychologists can certify mental functions. 4, 5 So, within the professions each form allows, the person who knows your child best, not necessarily the most senior title, is often the one to ask.
What each professional needs from you
- A dated one-page summary: what you see, since when, what helps. Bring it to every door.
- Videos on your phone of the thing you cannot describe in words.
- The daycare's observations, in writing if possible.
- Your questions, written down. See What to say to your doctor.
A note on private titles
Private clinics advertise "consultants", "coaches", "behaviour specialists" and "interventionists". Those are generally not reserved titles in Quebec. The protected ones on the table above belong to professional orders you can look up: the Ordre des psychologues, the Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes, the Ordre des ergothérapeutes, the Ordre des psychoéducateurs. If someone offers to "assess" your child, ask which order they belong to and whether their report will be accepted by the CLSC, the school and Retraite Québec.
This week
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Sources
- Diagnostic et premières démarches (2026) ↩1
- How to get a diagnosis (2026) ↩1 ↩2
- Frequently asked questions, ID-ASD-PD (2026)
- Supplement for Handicapped Children (2024) ↩1
- How to apply for the Disability Tax Credit (2026) ↩1
- Parcours scolaire d'un enfant handicapé, guide pour les parents (PDF) (2025)
- Autism supports and services (2026)