Assessment for Adults
A Respectful ApproachI offer adult Autism assessment for clients in Colorado & Missouri…
…assessment that recognizes your self-knowledge & doesn’t use stereotyped views.
An increasing number of adults experiencing sensory issues are wondering if they’ve been Autistic or an ADHDer…all along…
When I began speaking at length to Highly-Sensitive People on my website, I had an influx of clients asking me for Autism assessment & expressing a lack of assessment services for adults.
I didn’t want to abandon my clients to online quizzes & continued confusion.
So, I became very busy for several years training in assessment of Autism & ADHD. I have developed my own approach combining clinical assessments (updating outdated wording) & an interview format that..hopefully…increases your self-awareness & affirms your self-view.
Is this for you?
This may be for you if you are resonating with online forums related to undiagnosed Adult Autism & you have a history of social, sensory & cognitive differences.
Do you find yourself constantly trying to compensate or hide these differences & are starting to crave a congruent explanation?
We are often "masked" to ourselves when we were not identified as children, which can be very painful.
I focus on helping you find answers & neurodiversity-affirming care. My orientation is NOT about rigid diagnosis & labels, but to help you understand what you are experiencing.
For some, an assessment offers longed-for answers...YOU get to decide what you do with those answers.
go beyond online quizzes...
-
step one
We meet for a 50-minute session to establish your needs & schedule your assessment sessions.
This session can be via video or in-person in Columbia, MO.
-
step two
I will send you self-paced assessment documents to screen for Autism, ADHD & the common over-lapping diagnostic categories. These assessments are transparent & straight-forward.
Note: If you’d prefer to do this step in-person, that is available.
-
step three
I will review all of your responses & we will meet via video or in-person for a 75-minute session to continue & complete your assessment.
This session is conversational & transparent.
-
step four
A 75-minute results session concludes the process.
I will present my write-up & conclusions as well as offering resources, next steps & curated recommendations for you.
-
Intial 50-minute Session is a reduced fee of $100.
The fee for the assessment is $750 paid in 3 installments:
$250 when initial electronic paperwork is sent.
$250 each for the two 75-minute sessions.
-
In the first paperwork screening, I am screening for ALL of the following & we will go deeper into anything that is indicated.
High-Sensitivity (Sensory Processing Sensitivity)
Autism
Broader Autism Phenotype
ADHD (& VAST or variable attention stimulus trait)
AuDHD
Masking
Alexithymia
Post Traumatic Stress
Complex-Post Traumatic Stress
OCD
Borderline Personality Trauma Presentation
-
Yes, if you would rather do these in-person, we can schedule a 75-minute session to do so for an additional fee of $235.
-
No, I do not include this.
Although, if I think this is needed, I will direct you to another provider in our first 50-minute session.
-
Most “traditional” diagnosis processes involve asking parents to fill out forms.
I DO NOT REQUIRE THIS.
I would like friends or family to be involved in your process, you can request that.
-
It depends on how we schedule, but scheduling aside…it is possible to complete the full process in 2 weeks.
I don’t always think faster is better, though. It can be a positive to take your time through the process & reflect on what is being asked as well as space to remember elements from childhood, etc.
-
No, I am not running a waitlist at this time.
-
My level of education & training includes diagnosing (submitting to insurance, etc.).
This process is in-formal & conversational & I would not call this a diagnostic process since we will not be using formal diagnostic tools or submit to insurance & may sometimes need to work outside of the bounds of the diagnostic manual (for example, we need to make sense of meeting partial Autism criteria & part of ADHD without dismissing your experience).
I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, so if you need that level of evaluation, I can help with a referral.
Also, please note that formal diagnosis often includes intelligence tests & questioning family members. I do not require any of those things.
-
Diagnosis is a medical term, which tends to feel very solid & final.
I don’t believe that’s appropriate for neurodevelopmental identity.
It wasn’t long ago that the smartest mental health diagnosticians thought that a person couldn’t be Autistic & have ADHD.
They were wrong…really wrong…now we have strong indicators that up to 80% of Autistic folks are also ADHDers!
The current diagnostic manual has barely been updated since 2013.
I cannot align myself with the diagnosistic manual (DSM) being King. My goal is to be helpful to people who need support…not to be rigid. I don’t work for insurance companies…so, I can have more freedom to consider the most current research & knowledge.
-
I do use some diagnostic tests as a beginning point, but I do not use them outright, because:
The verbiage in many diagnostic tests is outdated, stereotyped & often inappropriate.
Many of the diagnostic tests have still not been modified to screen/test adults.
Research & testing continues to be primarily based on research & presentation of young white boys.
Also, I assume if my clients wanted this kind of testing, they would go to someone else.
Many diagnostic tests are available online & I don’t see the purpose of offering things you can find for yourself.
-
Yes, I will write-up my findings & we will review it together in session.
-
After our 3 assessment sessions, you are welcome to schedule a session or multiple sessions of any length to discuss assessment results or anything else that is helpful to you.
I offer psychotherapy, intensives, consultation, & listening therapies.
-
I can write you a letter for accommodations, if desired for a small fee.
If this is something you know you want, check in-advance that whomever you are providing the letter does not require a Physician letter (I am an LPC, a Master's Level Psychotherapist).
-
No, I do not submit to insurance. It will be up to you if you want to share assessment results with your medical providers.
-
Yes, this is included & reviewed in our last assessment session.
I also provide a password-protected website with current resources for all of my assessment clients.
-
In most cases, yes…as scheduling allows & if it seems like I would be a good fit for your needs.
-
I will do my best to explain my clinical reasoning, but if you don’t agree, I will support you completely.
It’s helpful to keep in perspective that these categories, diagnostics & explanations are created by people…& sometimes we misunderstand before we figure it out.
I do believe we are on the brink of having better definitions of the different Autism presentations, but it’s not here yet, not completely clear…yet.
Also, there’s major room for improvement for adult ADHD understanding.
I never want my clients to adopt a label they are not resonate with.
Q&A
flexibility & accessibility
assessment is available:
In-Person
Online
Via Phone
& via Electronic Forms
I strive to make assessment accessible & flexible to client needs.
If you would like someone else included in your process, please don’t hesitate to request it.
