Evaluations that hold up.
Drawing on over 20 years of experience working with people with Autism and IDD, and 6 years of testifying, Dr. Garcia provides forensic evaluations, written reports, and expert testimony for cases where Autism or IDD is at issue. That covers state and federal court, including Due Process, family, and criminal cases, for attorneys nationwide.
When Autism or IDD meets a criminal charge
Autism can shape how a person behaves, communicates, and responds to police, interviews, and court. Dr. Garcia explains this clearly to prosecutors, defense counsel, judges, and diversion programs. She does it through written reports used in criminal cases and through testimony, drawing on about six years of testifying and training legal professionals.
What we evaluate
We choose instruments and scope for the legal question at issue, not a boilerplate battery. Immigration evaluations are available in Spanish, and in Amharic and Tigrinya through a translator.
Extreme Hardship
Evaluations documenting the hardship a qualifying relative would suffer, including exceptional and extremely unusual hardship cases where the loved one has a disability.
Asylum & Withholding
Trauma-informed assessments documenting persecution-related psychological effects, PTSD, and memory factors relevant to credibility.
U-Visa & VAWA
Evaluations establishing substantial physical or mental abuse for victims of qualifying crimes and domestic violence.
Competency & Capacity
Assessments of decision-making capacity, competency, guardianship, and functional limitations in civil and criminal cases.
Independent Educational Evaluations
IEEs for Due Process, built to withstand scrutiny, with expert testimony available when needed.
Disability & SSDI
Documentation of cognitive, emotional, and adaptive functioning for benefits determinations and appeals.
Criminal Case Evaluations
Psychological testing for criminal cases where the person has Autism or IDD, with written reports used in diversion, plea, and sentencing decisions.
How a referral works
Free case consult
A brief call to confirm the referral question, jurisdiction, and timeline. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll point you to who is.
Records & scheduling
Share records through Google Drive or Dropbox. We schedule the client promptly and arrange interpretation when it’s needed.
Evaluation
Standardized instruments plus a clinical interview, chosen for the legal question at issue and defensible on cross.
Report & testimony
A clear written report (we let you know when to expect it), with declarations, affidavits, and expert testimony available.
Recent talks
Plus more than 15 years of AAIDD, PPAT, and Arc conference presentations, and interviews with Univision and WTAJ.