I'm available for Autism Assessments - only 1 month wait 🌈
Neurodivergent Assessments
"So I was told I was too social to be autistic. I was told I was too empathic to be autistic. I was told I was too female to be autistic. I was told I wasn’t autistic enough to be autistic."
- Hannah Gadsby
Autism and ADHD 'assessments'
I have experience in assessing 'internalised' or 'masked' Autism and ADHD neurotypes in female/ AFAB (assigned female at birth) folk who don't fit the mainstream stereotypes.
Benefits of assessment:
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Insight and validation- neurodiversity assessments can help to better understand yourself at a deeper level, bringing insight and validation
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Better mental health- having a diagnosis helps to indicate which treatment is best for you
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Identify strengths- assessments are also about unpacking your key strengths
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Connection- having a formal diagnosis will help connect you to your neurokin
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Adjustments and support- having a diagnosis allows you to have more adjustments and support
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Self compassion- the process helps with self-compassion
The Process
1
DISCOVERY CALL
Attend an initial 10-minute call to ask any questions.
It’s very important that you feel respected and safe.
2
QUESTIONNAIRES
Complete between 8-15 online questionnaires.
Loved ones (‘informants’) also complete online questionnaires.
3
COLLATERAL
Email any relevant reports, old school assignments, medical records, childhood diaries, old school report cards, etc.
4
INTERVIEW
Attend a 2 hour autism discovery session
5
FEEDBACK
Attend a 50-minute feedback session to go through results and recommendations.
My Approach
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A wide range of tools are used to ensure the process is reliable and valid
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Tools include questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations, review of collateral (such as old report cards, etc), and the collection of data from your loved ones
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The semi-structured interview tools I use are highly regarded- the ‘DIVA-5’ (ADHD) and the ‘MIGDAS-2’ (Autism)
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The sessions are done via videoconferencing. They are casual- the goal is to make you feel as safe and comfortable as possible
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Feel free to have a support person, pet, and favourite fidget toy with you
Cost
The cost for a combined Autism and ADHD assessment is: $2,700
The cost for an Autism assessment is: $2,200
What you get
Your report will give you great insight into your profile- it will validate the areas that you have struggled with, and also highlight key strengths.
Reports are comprehensive (15-20 pages on average) and include functional impacts, strengths, recommendations, and next steps. They are written in a neuro-affirming manner.
I strongly prefer not to do reports for NDIS application purposes, since they are written using a medical model and are deficit based.