All about Adult Autism Evaluations
You’ve been wondering for a while if you’re autistic, and maybe even gotten to the point where you realize for sure you are, and you’ve decided to get an “official” evaluation but have no idea what to expect. Below is some information on finding an affirming evaluator and what the process should generally look like.
Why get an autism evaluation as an adult?
There can be a lot of reasons to decide for or against getting a formal evaluation. I go over many of them in a separate post here, but there are a few main points I wanted to go over, in no particular order.
The need for official, protected accommodations at school or work. This is often a large reason for people wanting to pursue an evaluation- in order to have accommodations, you need to have a qualifying diagnosis. This can be a variety of different diagnoses, both medical and mental health, but many folks can find it helpful to have autism in their record for some specific accommodations.
Correcting misdiagnoses to find appropriate therapies. Often autistic adults have been given other, incorrect diagnoses, which can lead to therapies, medications, and treatments that are not helpful, or even harmful. For example, some autistic adults are given an OCD diagnosis due to their need for routine and predictability. Yet no treatment for OCD is going to change that- what they really need is to find ways to create routine in their environment and how to cope with the discomfort that comes with changes to routine.
Knowing yourself better. This is the reason I tend to see the most for folks wanting to go through the evaluation process. They know they are autistic, and they know that self-diagnosis is valid, yet sometimes we just want that outside validation. There is also a great deal of information that comes out of the evaluation process that many adults find helpful.
How do you find someone who provides affirming autism evaluations for adults?
This can be a tricky one. While most people tend to think you need a full psychological evaluation for an autism diagnosis, in most states that simply isn’t true! For example, in North Carolina and South Carolina, where I practice, a master’s level licensed therapist can provide an autism diagnosis (with proper education and training). This can often be more affirming, as you are generally not required to complete unnecessary additional assessments, such as IQ testing. And with fewer assessments, the cost is often cheaper and the process can take less time. So definitely don’t limit your search to psychologists only!
Once you narrow down your search, there are a few ways to see if someone is affirming or not. See this old blog post for some basics on affirming care in general and finding an affirming therapist. Some other things to look at specifically with autism evaluations:
Does the evaluator require input from parents and/or partners? While getting information from others can be helpful, ultimately you are the expert on your own internal experience. Often times even those closest to us don’t have an accurate picture of how we are experiencing the world. Some of us don’t have contact with parents for a variety of reasons. And sometimes people don’t feel safe discussing autism with friends and/or family. All of these are valid, and none should be a reason someone can’t get an evaluation.
Does the evaluator answer questions about the evaluation process itself? This doesn’t necessarily mean that every single detail about the process in on their webpage, but are they open to questions? Are some of the basics answered? This can help give you a better feel for if they are affirming or not.
Do they work with neurodivergent clients? Check to see if the evaluator you are looking at actually works with autistic, ADHD, and other types of neurodivergent clients. The more exposure a clinician has to autistic people, the more likely they will be able to identify autistic adults.
What is the autism evaluation process for adults like?
Although there are similarities between providers, much of this will depend on who is doing the evaluation. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how I structure my assessments.
Schedule the date and time of the actual evaluation appointment. Timing will vary, but I generally schedule them a few weeks out from the date of our first contact. This gives time for you to clear your schedule and complete all the paperwork that I need prior to our meeting.
Complete initial paperwork, self-report forms, and questionnaires. These are generally done at least a few days prior to the evaluation appointment itself. You may get a variety of assessments that screen for autism, ADHD, and masking along with some specific open questions about your life history. You can also upload any previous assessments, thoughts, or notes for your evaluator to read before the evaluation itself.
3. The evaluation appointment. This is when we do the bulk of the assessment! We will meet for roughly 3 hours to discuss your experience as an autistic person. Think of this as a “get to know you” interview- there are no trick questions, just a chance to discuss your interests, sensory needs, and anything else that has led you to question if you are autistic.
4. Additional information and report preparation. After the evaluation itself, I may have additional forms or questionnaires for you to fill out, and you can also send me any additional information or thoughts that we didn’t get to address during the evaluation appointment. During this time, I will also be writing up the report for you.
5. Sharing of results and recommendations. This appointment is about an hour, and scheduled approximately 2 weeks after the evaluation itself to allow time for me to write everything up and get any additional information from you. During this appointment, we will go over the results and I’ll answer any questions you have about the process, results, or about autism in general. We will also talk about any specific recommendations.
When you get the full report depends on your preferences, and we will discuss this in your evaluation appointment. Some people like to get a copy a few days ahead of time so they can review everything prior to the results appointment. Others feel it may be too much information ahead of time, and would rather discuss results verbally first, and then get the written copy. No matter your preference, I always encourage people to read through the report and let me know if there are any errors or corrections, even if you don’t notice them until after the results appointment, as I want to ensure everything is accurate.
And there you go! I hope this answers some of your questions about autism evaluations for adults. If you are in North or South Carolina and want to schedule an autism evaluation, click here and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get scheduled. Once you submit the form, you have the option to schedule a free 20-minute consult to answer any questions about the process as well.
