Our Services / CMDE Assessments

CMDE Assessments: the evaluation behind every plan of care

A Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation, or CMDE, is the starting point for nearly every family we work with. It’s a detailed look at your child’s development that shapes every recommendation that follows.

What is a CMDE?

A Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (CMDE) is a structured assessment used across Minnesota’s EIDBI program to determine whether a child qualifies for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention services, and if so, what those services should include. The evaluation looks at communication, social interaction, behavior, motor skills, and adaptive daily living skills, and combines that information with parent and caregiver interviews and, where relevant, existing medical or school records.
At Elite Services Center Inc, the CMDE is completed by qualified clinical staff who are trained specifically in early childhood development and autism spectrum evaluation. We treat this step as more than paperwork; it’s the foundation that every future therapy decision is built on.

Who needs a CMDE?

Most families come to us after a pediatrician, school, or early childhood screening has flagged a possible developmental concern, often related to autism spectrum disorder. If your child does not yet have a CMDE on file, we complete one before any therapy begins. If your child already has a current, valid CMDE from another provider, we can typically use that evaluation to move directly into building an Individual Treatment Plan, saving your family time and avoiding an unnecessary repeat assessment.

What’s included in the evaluation

A detailed review of your child’s developmental and medical history
Direct observation of your child in structured and play-based settings
Standardized developmental and behavioral assessment tools
A structured interview with parents or primary caregivers
A written summary with specific, individualized recommendations

What happens after your CMDE

Once the evaluation is complete, our clinical team meets with your family to walk through the results in plain language — no jargon, no rushed explanations. From there, we use the findings to build your child’s Individual Treatment Program (ITP), which lays out specific goals across the service areas your child needs, whether that’s ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or a combination of several programs.

How long does it take?

Most CMDEs are completed over one to two appointments, depending on your child’s age and the complexity of the concerns being evaluated. We schedule these sessions with flexibility in mind, understanding that young children often do best with evaluations spread across shorter visits rather than one long appointment.

Getting started with a CMDE

Starting the process is simple: reach out to our team by phone or through our contact form, and we’ll ask a few questions about your child’s history and any prior evaluations or referrals. If you already have documentation from a pediatrician, school, or early childhood screening, bringing that to your first appointment helps us build a more complete picture from day one. From there, we’ll schedule your CMDE appointments at a pace that works for your family.

Common questions about CMDEs

Do I need a diagnosis before scheduling a CMDE? Not necessarily. Many families come to us with a referral or a general concern rather than a formal diagnosis, and the CMDE itself helps clarify what’s going on and what support is recommended.
Will my child’s CMDE from another provider still count? In most cases, yes. If your child has a current, valid CMDE on file, we can typically use it to move directly into building an Individual Treatment Program rather than repeating the evaluation.

Why families choose our evaluation team

A CMDE shapes years of therapy decisions, so accuracy matters more here than almost anywhere else in your child’s care. Our evaluators specialize specifically in early childhood and autism spectrum assessment, which means the recommendations you receive are grounded in direct clinical experience with children like yours, not a generic checklist applied the same way to every family that walks through our doors.

Ready to talk about cmde assessments for your child?

Reach out today to schedule your child’s CMDE, or ask us to review an existing evaluation from another provider.