Last Updated: April 22, 2026

Overview

Autism Diagnostics Lab is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of children. This Age Restriction and Parental Consent Policy outlines our requirements for testing children and our compliance with applicable laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state laws governing medical testing of minors.

Minimum Age for Testing

The MDM™ Gut & Brain Health test is validated and available for individuals who are:

If you are interested in testing for a child under 2 years of age, please contact us to discuss current research initiatives or future availability.

Minimum Age to Order Tests

To place an order for the MDM™ test, you must be at least 18 years of age or older.

This requirement ensures that:

• The person ordering the test has legal capacity to enter into a contract
• The person ordering can provide legally valid consent
• Payment authorization is provided by an individual with legal authority
• We comply with online commerce and privacy regulations

Individuals under 18 years of age may not independently order the MDM™ test, even for themselves. A parent or legal guardian must place the order on their behalf.

COPPA Compliance

Autism Diagnostics Lab complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of children under 13 years of age.

Information We Collect from Children:

When a parent or guardian orders testing for a child under 13, we may collect:

• Child's name and date of birth
• Biological sample (stool sample for testing)
• Health information relevant to testing
• Test results and metabolomic data

Parental Consent Required:

Under COPPA, we are required to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13. By ordering a test for a child under 13, the parent or guardian provides this consent.

How We Use Children's Information:

Information collected from children under 13 is used exclusively for:

• Performing the requested laboratory testing
• Providing test results to parents or guardians and healthcare providers
• Billing and payment processing
• Complying with legal and regulatory requirements
• Quality assurance and laboratory operations (using de-identified data)

We Do NOT:

• Collect more information from children than is necessary for testing
• Use children's information for marketing purposes
• Sell or rent children's personal information
• Allow third parties to collect information from children through our website
• Require children to disclose more information than necessary to participate in testing

Parental Rights Under COPPA:

Parents and guardians have the right to:

• Review the personal information collected from their child
• Request that we delete their child's personal information
• Refuse to allow further collection or use of their child's information
• Receive notice of our information practices regarding children

To exercise these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at info@autismdiagnosticslab.com.

Parental or Guardian Consent Requirements

For all individuals under 18 years of age, parental or legal guardian consent is required before testing can be performed.

Who Can Provide Consent:

Consent may be provided by:

• Biological parent with legal parental rights
• Adoptive parent with full legal parental rights
• Legal guardian appointed by a court
• Conservator with authority over medical decisions (if applicable)
• Other individual with legal authority to make medical decisions for the child, as documented by court order or other legal instrument

Who CANNOT Provide Consent:

The following individuals may not provide consent unless they meet the criteria above:

• Stepparents (unless they have legally adopted the child)
• Grandparents (unless they have legal guardianship)
• Other relatives (unless they have legal guardianship)
• Temporary caregivers or babysitters
• Foster parents (unless granted specific medical decision-making authority)
• Parents whose parental rights have been terminated
• Non-custodial parents whose rights to make medical decisions have been limited by court order

If you are unsure whether you have legal authority to consent to testing for a child, please consult with an attorney or contact your local family court.

Verification of Parental Rights

To ensure compliance with COPPA and protect children's welfare, we implement verification procedures:

Standard Verification:

When ordering a test for a child, the parent or guardian must:

• Affirm that they are the parent or legal guardian of the child
• Provide their own identification information (name, address, phone, email)
• Provide payment using a method in their own name
• Electronically sign consent forms acknowledging their parental authority

Enhanced Verification:

We reserve the right to require additional verification in certain circumstances, including:

• When inconsistencies are detected in provided information
• When we receive conflicting requests from multiple individuals claiming parental rights
• When required by state law or regulation
• When we have reason to believe consent may not be valid

Enhanced verification may require:

• Submission of government-issued identification
• Documentation of legal guardianship (court orders, adoption papers, etc.)
• Notarized consent forms
• Verification by the child's healthcare provider

Protection of Children's Data

We implement stringent safeguards to protect children's personal health information:

Technical Safeguards:

• Encryption of all children's data in transit and at rest
• Access controls limiting who can view children's information
• Audit logs tracking all access to children's records
• Secure data storage with regular security assessments

Administrative Safeguards:

• COPPA training for all staff who handle children's information
• Strict policies limiting collection of children's data to what is necessary
• Regular privacy audits and compliance reviews
• Incident response procedures for any suspected data breaches

Physical Safeguards:

• Secure storage of physical samples and records
• Restricted access to areas where children's information is stored
• Secure disposal of children's information when no longer needed

Restrictions on Use of Children's Information

Children's personal health information is subject to enhanced protections:

Prohibited Uses:

• Marketing: We will never use children's information for marketing purposes or share it with third parties for marketing
• Commercial Sale: We will never sell or rent children's personal information
• Unauthorized Disclosure: We will not disclose children's information except as authorized by the parent or guardian or required by law
• Behavioral Tracking: We do not use cookies or tracking technologies to collect information from children on our website

Permitted Uses:

Children's information may only be used for:

• Performing the requested laboratory testing
• Providing results to parents or guardians and authorized healthcare providers
• Billing and payment processing
• Quality assurance using de-identified data
• Legal compliance and safety purposes
• Research, only if separate parental authorization is obtained and data is de-identified

Age Verification Procedures

To ensure compliance with age requirements, we implement the following procedures:

Verification of Test Subject Age:

• Date of birth must be provided for the individual being tested
• System automatically verifies that the test subject is 2 years or older
• Orders for children under 2 will be flagged and reviewed

Verification of Ordering Party Age:

• Self-certification that the ordering party is 18 years or older
• Credit card and payment method verification (cards typically require 18+ age)
• Terms of service agreement acknowledging age requirement

Special Considerations for Different Age Groups

Children Under 13 (COPPA-Protected):

• Enhanced COPPA protections apply
• Parental consent required before any information collection
• Parental rights to review, delete, or restrict use of information
• Strict limits on information collection and use

Children 13 to 17 (Minors):

• Parental or guardian consent still required for testing
• HIPAA privacy protections apply
• State laws may provide additional privacy rights
• In some states, mature minors may have limited rights to consent to certain healthcare services (consult state law)

Adults 18+ Years:

• May order and consent to testing independently
• Full HIPAA privacy rights
• No parental consent required

Consent Documentation

When ordering a test for a child under 18, the parent or guardian will be asked to:

1. Confirm Parental Authority: Affirm that they are the legal parent or guardian with authority to consent to medical testing
2. Review Informed Consent: Read and understand the Informed Consent for Testing document
3. Acknowledge COPPA Notice: Review notice of information practices regarding children (for children under 13)
4. Review Privacy Practices: Review the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
5. Provide Electronic Signature: Electronically sign consent forms acknowledging understanding and agreement

These consent records are maintained in accordance with applicable record retention laws.

State-Specific Age of Consent Laws

Some states have specific laws regarding the age at which minors can consent to certain medical testing without parental involvement. Our general policy requires parental consent for all minors under 18; however, state law may provide additional rights.

If you have questions about state-specific age of consent laws, please see our State-Specific Requirements page or consult with a healthcare provider or attorney in your state.

Emancipated Minors

In some jurisdictions, minors who are legally emancipated may have the legal capacity to consent to medical testing without parental involvement. If you are an emancipated minor seeking testing:

• Contact us before ordering to discuss your situation
• Be prepared to provide documentation of emancipation (court order or other legal proof)
• Confirm that emancipation in your state grants medical decision-making authority

We will review documentation on a case-by-case basis to determine if parental consent can be waived.

Disputes Over Parental Authority

In cases where there are disputes over who has authority to consent to testing for a child:

• We may require court documentation clarifying custody and medical decision-making authority
• We will not perform testing if we receive conflicting instructions from multiple parties claiming parental rights
• We may require legal documentation (custody orders, guardianship papers) before proceeding
• In cases of disputed custody, we recommend obtaining court authorization before ordering testing

Autism Diagnostics Lab does not mediate custody disputes and cannot provide legal advice regarding parental rights.

Rights to Access Children's Test Results

Test results for children under 18 will be provided to:

• The parent or legal guardian who provided consent for testing
• The child's healthcare provider (if designated)
• Other parties only with written authorization from the parent or guardian or as required by law

In cases of divorced or separated parents with shared custody, we will follow any court orders regarding disclosure of medical information. If no court order is provided, we will generally provide results to the parent or guardian who ordered the test and consented to testing.

Retention and Deletion of Children's Information

Children's personal health information is retained in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including:

• CLIA laboratory record retention requirements (typically 2+ years)
• State law requirements for medical records retention
• Legal obligations to preserve records for ongoing or anticipated litigation

After applicable retention periods expire, children's information will be securely destroyed.

Parental Right to Request Deletion:

Parents have the right to request deletion of their child's information, subject to legal retention requirements. To request deletion, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@autismdiagnosticslab.com. We will comply with deletion requests to the extent permitted by law.

Questions and Contact Information

If you have questions about age requirements, parental consent, COPPA compliance, or children's privacy, please contact: