Can Dr. Regan perform diagnostic assessments for autism?

Yes, Dr. Regan specializes in autism assessments for adolescents, adults, and older adults, having completed over 1,000 evaluations, including around 400 for females. She performs diagnostic assessments exclusively at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL, with a current waitlist of about four years. While she does not offer diagnostic evaluations through her website, she provides one-hour video consultations on topics like communication, relationships, household living, emotional regulation, and work. These can be scheduled via the video visits page.

How can I get on Dr. Regan's evaluation waitlist in Peoria?

Dr. Regan conducts diagnostic assessments at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL. She sees patients aged 14 and older including adolescents, adults, and older adults. She has a four-year waitlist. To be placed on the waitlist, please have your physician call 309-655-7378 for instructions on how to send a referral. Once this is complete, a member of staff will contact you to hold your appointment date.

Is it possible to schedule a video visit with Dr. Regan from out of state?

While Dr. Regan does not conduct diagnostic evaluations via video sessions, you can book a one-hour consultation to discuss daily living topics such as calming anxiety, effective communication, relationship repair, navigating neurodiverse households, and improving organization and productivity. Note that Dr. Regan cannot provide video consultations for individuals in Alaska, California, Guam, Iowa, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, countries outside the USA, or Illinois due to contractual obligations with her employer.

Does Dr. Regan accept insurance for appointments?

Yes, appointments with Dr. Regan at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center are billed through the hospital, and any insurance accepted by the hospital can be used. Please verify coverage with your insurance provider before the appointment. Video appointments via Dr. Regan's website are self-pay. For more details, visit the video visits page.

Can Dr. Regan recommend a local provider for autism diagnosis?

Currently, Dr. Regan does not have a nationwide list of referral options for autism diagnosis. We recommend contacting local autism support organizations or your primary care physician for recommendations.

How can professional clinicians schedule an appointment with Dr. Regan?

Professional clinicians can schedule appointments with Dr. Regan by visiting the "For Clinicians" page on her website. There, you will find information on professional consultation appointments, CEU courses, and a free clinicians' group.

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism

I am pleased to announce the release of the third volume in The Understanding Autism Series: Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism.

Relationships are rarely difficult because people do not care. More often, they become strained because communication is misunderstood — tone is misread, intentions are misinterpreted, or expectations remain unspoken.

In this volume, I explore how communication actually works in everyday relationships and why it can feel especially complex for autistic adolescents and adults. Drawing from more than 30 years of clinical experience in neuropsychology and nearly 1,000 autism evaluations, this book translates research and diagnostic criteria into practical, real-life application.

Topics include:

The distinction between task-focused and relationship-focused interaction

Navigating compliments, gratitude, and reciprocity

Understanding how shame and misinterpretation affect connection

Practical strategies for conflict repair and relational resilience

This book is written for autistic adults, partners, parents, and professionals who want greater clarity — not scripts or masking, but understanding. When insight increases, relationships become less fragile and more grounded in mutual respect.

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism builds on the foundation of the first two volumes and continues the goal of the series: to increase understanding across the lifespan.

I am deeply grateful to the individuals and families whose experiences have shaped this work, and I hope this book offers meaningful support to those navigating communication and connection in their own lives.

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism: Why Misunderstandings Happen and How to Improve Connection

Dr. Theresa Regan
7 days ago
3 min read

Book Launch Announcement:

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism

I’m pleased to announce the upcoming release of my newest book, Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism, the third volume in The Understanding Autism Series. The book will be released on April 2, and the ebook is available now for preorder, with paperback and hardcover editions launching on release day.

Over many years of clinical work in neuropsychology, I’ve seen that some of the most confusing and painful moments in people’s lives are not caused by lack of caring. Instead, they often arise from differences in how communication is interpreted. Tone, timing, nonverbal signals, and expectations that seem obvious to one person may be completely invisible to another.

When these differences aren’t understood, everyday interactions can quickly become misunderstandings.

The situations that shape our relationships rarely happen in dramatic or unusual places. They happen in the ordinary rhythm of daily life: in our kitchens after dinner, in classrooms and workplaces, in conversations with partners, friends, colleagues, and family members. A comment spoken while passing in the hallway, the way someone offers help, or the way a gift is given and received can carry very different meanings depending on how each person processes communication.

This new book is an effort to translate neurologically complex concepts into something recognizable and practical for everyday life.

Rather than focusing only on diagnostic descriptions, the book explores how neurological differences in communication and emotional signaling show up in the moments that shape real relationships.

What the Book Covers

The book is organized into three main sections.

1. Neurology, Communication, and Relationships

The first section explores how neurological differences influence communication patterns across both autistic and nonautistic individuals. These differences affect things like timing in conversation, nonverbal expression, emotional signaling, and interpretation of social cues. Understanding these patterns can help explain why two people may experience the same interaction in very different ways.

2. Communication and Conversation

The second section focuses on everyday communication. It explores variations in conversational style across neurotypes and offers practical strategies that help individuals meet their own communication goals while respecting differences in how others communicate. Topics include navigating conversations, understanding emotional exchanges, and building clarity in interactions that might otherwise feel confusing.

3. Relationships

The final section examines how communication differences influence relationships over time. This includes different types of relationships, neurodiverse partnerships, household dynamics, and practical approaches to repairing misunderstandings when they occur. The goal is not perfection, but resilience—helping relationships recover and grow when communication becomes difficult.

Making the Complex Understandable

The central aim of this book is simple: to make complex neurological ideas accessible and useful in everyday life.

When people understand what is happening beneath the surface of communication differences, something important changes. Confusion often becomes clarity. Blame can soften into curiosity. And relationships can move forward with greater understanding.

This book is written for autistic adults, partners, parents, and professionals who want practical frameworks for navigating communication and relationships with greater confidence.

Release Information

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism will be released on April 2.

The ebook is currently available for preorder, and paperback and hardcover editions will be available on release day.

If you’re interested in learning more, the book is linked here:

Understanding Communication and Relationships in Autism

I’m grateful to the many autistic individuals, families, and colleagues whose experiences and insights have shaped this work.

Unlock Autism Expertise with Autism in the Adult