Neurodevelopmental Evaluation, Screening, Training & Teaming (NESTT)
A partnership with the LSU Health New Orleans Human Development Center, School of Allied Health Professions, and the Department of Psychiatry at the LSUHSC School of Medicine, providing expert evaluations and support.
Who We Serve
The NESTT Clinic supports children ages 2–8 who may be developing, learning, or behaving in different ways.
Neurodiversity-Focused
We look at the many different ways children think, learn, communicate, and experience the world - not just one diagnosis.
Support for Caregivers
We provide clear, step-by-step guidance after the evaluation, along with help navigating services, supports, and next steps.
The NESTT clinic is a program of the LSUHSC Human Development Center and uses an interdisciplinary team to:
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Provide outstanding services to families of children suspected of having neurodevelopmental differences such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), intellectual disabilities, or learning differences.
- Provide high-quality information, training, and supervision to pediatric medical residents, graduate students, professionals, and families about best practices in interdisciplinary teaming, evaluations, and family partnerships.
The clinic team works together to engage in best practices for evaluations, diagnostics, and support for children and their families.
Connect with the NESTT
Please complete this contact form to get started with the waitlist process. Once complete, someone from NESTT will contact you about next steps.
More than autism!
We provide comprehensive evaluations to better understand your child’s needs, including:
- Autism
- ADHD
- Learning differences
- Communication delays
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
- Intellectual disabilities
- Sensory processing differences
- Other neurodevelopmental conditions
Evolution and Screening
Training and Teaming
We believe the best outcomes happen when families and professionals work together.
Our Training and Teaming approach brings together parent support, interdisciplinary evaluation, and hands-on learning for future providers.
Parent Training & Support Starts at Diagnosis
Many families leave appointments with a diagnosis and a long list of referrals, but little guidance on what to do next.
As part of the NESTT experience, parents have the option to receive structured training and one-on-one guidance to help you understand your child’s diagnosis, what it means for everyday life, and how to support your child at home.
A Team Approach
During evaluations, at the same time team members are “playing” with a child; they are looking at how the child communicates with others and how they interact with team members, activities, and materials. If the team has additional concerns related to neurodevelopmental differences, brief assessments of communication, behavioral, academic, or cognitive functioning may be added to the evaluation.
Training the Next Generation
NESTT is also a learning clinic, training future healthcare providers and specialists to deliver high-quality, family-centered care.
We aim to teacher our students how to develop skills in the interdisciplinary team process and how to effectively communicate developmental findings and intervention recommendations to families and other team members.
Diagnosing FASD:
A First for Louisiana
NESTT will be home to Louisiana’s first multidisciplinary FASD diagnostic clinic, helping more children get identified and supported earlier.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual exposed to alcohol in the womb. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with lifelong implications.