Have you ever noticed that the way you socialize and communicate feels different than other people? Not in a wrong way, but more so that the things you say or how you say them are often misinterpreted or taken out of context by others. Have you ever noticed that you pre-plan conversations, prefer when things go according to plan (instead of suddenly changing), or that groups feel overwhelming? Do certain lights, sounds, smells, textures, or tastes feel extremely overpowering OR on the opposite end bring such deep comfort that you absolutely need them to get through the day? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s likely you’ve wondered about autism before. Autism is talked about frequently on social media and has become a topic that more people are aware of in recent years.

Autism spectrum disorder is the more formal clinical term for a series of social, communication, sensory, and behavioral differences. Autism has been categorized into three levels: ranging from those who have very high support needs requiring one-on-one care to manage day-to-day life, to those who have lower support needs requiring minimal assistance with daily life tasks. The most important factor here is that one’s support needs can change depending on the level of support, stimulation, and pressure from the environment.

Imagine your perfect day – it’s very likely that things feel calm, controlled, and predictable. That type of day is likely something you would crave because it would bring a sense of peace and stability in an ever-changing busy world. Now we know that most days are not ideal, but some days may be closer to a ‘perfect’ day than others. The goal with an autism evaluation is to learn more about the factors in your day that contribute towards both your stress levels and your peace levels. Through a series of cognitive, social-emotional, personality, and sensory questionnaires and measures, we can learn more about your preferences, needs, strengths, and future goals.

Testing for autism spectrum disorder can take about 2 to 3 hours for adults and 3 to 4 hours for children.

The process starts with an intake interview where we will talk more about your childhood, school years, work years (if at that age), friendships, relationships, and general life experiences to learn more about what makes you who you are.

Then, we will schedule a handful of testing appointments to allow you to complete tests that identify how your brain works and the factors that impact your day-to-day life. Each testing appointment is usually between 1 to 2 hours, and the assessor is with you the entire time to answer any questions you may have. The first testing appointment is usually very interactive, with the assessor directly asking you standardized questions and guiding you through a series of tasks. Additional testing appointments typically include self-report questionnaires to understand your perspective on any challenges or traits you may have, as well as executive functioning measures to ensure that any symptoms that have similar features as autism (such as anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, etc.) are captured if present.

After all testing is completed, it takes about 1 to 2 weeks for your assessor to write a formal report explaining all of the findings. This report is then reviewed with you to answer any questions you may have and to provide guidance about next steps.

There is also a post-evaluation follow-up meeting that occurs about a month after your report is reviewed with you just in case you have any additional questions or want to share any feedback about your testing experience!

The goal in providing an autism evaluation is to help you understand yourself better and to give structured, focused feedback on how to integrate any findings into your identity. Many of our clients tend to want to start individual therapy after their assessment, and this is always something that can be talked about once the testing process has ended. Integrating test findings into therapy is a fantastic way to feel better understood. Having an autism evaluation done before starting treatment also allows the core parts of your life to be summarized in report form to any professionals you choose to work with going forward.

At Blossoming Minds Psychological Services PC, we strive to provide neuroaffirmative, validating evaluations that help individuals to feel seen, heard, respected, and believed.