Autism Spectrum
Testing for ages 16 and up.
“I’ve always felt different, but I could never explain why.”
“I’m exhausted from trying to keep up socially in a way other people don’t seem to be.”
“My child was just diagnosed, and reading about it felt like reading about myself.”
“I’ve always been ‘the sensitive one’ or ‘too much’ or ‘too particular.’ Is there a reason?”
A Note on Language
This practice takes an affirming approach to autism.
It is a difference in how the brain processes and experiences the world, not a deficiency to be “fixed.”
The goal of evaluation is clarity, self-understanding, and identifying supports that help you thrive as your authentic self.
How could this have been
missed for so long?
You may be someone who rehearses conversations, studies how other people act, or needs time alone after a social day to recover from "being fine." For many people, that constant effort is what leads them to wonder about autism.
Autism is a spectrum and can look different for everyone.
Many adolescents and adults on the spectrum may present in ways that do not match what people picture when they think of autism.
When the differences are quieter, especially for those who've learned to “mask,” they can go unnoticed for years, sometimes until adolescence or adulthood.
Having some of these traits doesn't by itself mean someone is autistic, but recognizing the pattern is often the first step toward an evaluation.
Common patterns include:
-
Conversations that feel one-sided or effortful
Wanting connection but finding friendships hard to start or keep
Missing or misreading tone, expressions, or sarcasm
-
A strong need for predictability, stress when plans change, deep focused interests, and trouble switching tasks or staying organized
-
Sensitivity to sound, light, textures, or crowds
Feeling drained after socializing
-
Copying others, rehearsing conversations, or forcing eye contact to fit in—then feeling exhausted or "not yourself," a pattern especially common in women and gender-diverse adults
What Does Evaluation Involve?
A comprehensive autism evaluation looks at how you experience the world, communicate, and connect—not whether you fit a stereotype.
-
We start with your story: early social, communication, and sensory experiences, and patterns across relationships, school, and work.
When possible and if you wish, input from someone who knew you as a child helps fill in early history.
-
Established instruments, such as the ADOS-2 and the MIGDAS-2 help organize the picture.
They inform the diagnosis rather than decide it alone.
-
Many adults learn to blend in by scripting conversations, hiding sensory discomfort, or copying others.
The evaluation looks beneath these strategies at the underlying patterns, and at what masking costs you.
-
Findings are interpreted against DSM-5-TR, recognizing that difficulties may only surface when life's demands outgrow your usual strategies.
-
Because anxiety, depression, and ADHD often occur alongside autism (and can be mistaken for it) the evaluation screens for these too.
-
Clear feedback on what was found, what it means, and practical, individualized recommendations for support and next steps.
Why Self-Identification Isn't the Full Picture
Many traits associated with ASD can overlap with, or be mimicked by, other experiences, including:
Social anxiety or generalized anxiety
ADHD, which frequently co-occurs with autism
Sensory processing differences without a broader autism profile
Trauma-related hyper-vigilance or avoidance
Depression or burn-out
Personality style and individual temperament
Online self-assessments and social media content can be a helpful starting point for recognizing traits in yourself, but they can't distinguish autism from these other explanations, and they can't capture how traits actually affect your functioning day to day.
Testing exists to bring clarity to that picture.
The Path Forward:
1. Reach out
Take the first step and schedule a free 15-minute Zoom call to see if working together would be the right fit for your needs
2. Come in for testing
Engage in evidence-based, gold standard psychological testing to access cognitive skills, executive functioning, and emotional patterns to create a clear image of your strengths and challenges.
3. Get the answers
Receive a clear, easy to read report with testing results and a concrete action plan to move forward.