Assessing Neurodivergence

Many adults may have autism and/or ADHD that has previously gone undiagnosed, but mental health professionals have only recently begun to offer assessments for potentially neurodivergent adults. If you see signs of autism or ADHD in yourself, I can help you and your family get clarity on developmental or social differences. An accurate diagnosis can be an important step on the right path toward better self-understanding.

I offer a progressive, neurodiversity-affirmative assessment process for adults that has been designed around respecting and valuing unique experiences. Many well-established Autism Diagnostic tests were designed to detect a subset of the autism spectrum, usually in early childhood. Since I aim to capture a wider range of experiences in an older demographic, I do not use traditional assessment tools. I do, however, adhere to international clinical autism assessment standards for adults and base the assessment process on the current diagnostic criteria for autism in the DSM-5 and ICD-11.

While this can lead to a clinical “diagnosis”, it is important to note that I do not view autism or ADHD as ‘disorders’ to ‘diagnose’. I believe that a diagnosis is best explored and established through a strengths-based diagnostic lens. The purpose of the assessment is to gain greater personal insight and awareness, identify your individual support needs, and help you and those around you better understand the realities and challenges of everyday living.