Autism Testing

Child and Adult Autism Testing

Both autism and ADHD create challenges for the individual, but also have some real strengths associated. Some of the strengths are natural facets of the diagnoses, and some arise from years of working to compensate for the challenges. Being neurodivergent isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing. Identifying your strengths and challenges, and understanding what drives them, can be an extremely valuable step in becoming your best self. Sometimes we do so by leaning into the strengths we have identified, and sometimes it’s because we recognize that we want to mitigate the negative impact of challenges. Regardless, having this information allows you and your treatment team to make informed decisions that improve your quality of life.
​
Common statements made by individuals seeking an autism evaluation include: 
​
“I’ve always felt different, but I never knew why.”
“As a kid, I was told I was ‘dramatic’ because I couldn’t handle certain things or environments.”
“I know I care deeply about people, but I’ve been told I lack empathy.”
“Does anyone think small talk isn’t pointless?”
“It feels like everyone else has been ‘let in on the joke,’ but I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on.”
“When people make jokes about ‘reading the room’, I’m confused about how to read it.”
“As I grew older, I was really lucky to find people who were quirky like me.”
“It seems like all of my friends are neurodivergent, and it has made me start to wonder if maybe I am?”
“Of course, I was upset about the change in schedule. I need time to plan for what we are going to talk about.”
“Socializing drains me, even when I love the people and am excited to see them.”
“I just wish people could be more honest and say what they are thinking or feeling.”
“My career is a mix of situations where I was the star and situations where I couldn’t seem to get it right.”
“My batteries get run down so much that I absolutely have to find a way to recharge or I can’t function. Sometimes, this results in coping strategies that I know are bad for me.”
​
These reflect some of the difficulties that autistic individuals face. As noted above, people with autism and ADHD also have strengths that their neurotypical counterparts may lack, resulting in other statements:
​
“When I get time to think things through, nobody on my team can do things as well as I.”
“My ability to notice and remember small details makes me exceptional at my job.”
“I never understood why other people didn’t see the pattern in the information that I could.”
“My ability to maintain my focus on something that interests me has allowed me to do some great things.”
“I’m really good at telling other people about what I’m thinking or feeling. I don’t expect them to read my mind, and I think that helps us to understand each other.”
“Growing up, people said I was rude, but when I finally found my tribe (or began to work with people from another culture), they saw that I was just being honest.”
​
Clearly, the challenges and strengths associated with autism can vary depending on the situation in which you find yourself. Further, adults and children demonstrate the challenges in different ways. Because adults with autism have typically spent years trying to figure out how to blend in or camouflage their differences from others, identifying the symptoms of autism can be rather challenging for an evaluator. As a result, the amount of time spent gathering information (and the breadth of information collected) is often greater for autism evaluations because a person may present typically but be masking the work needed to do so or be hesitant to discuss how difficult it was for them to develop the skills to present like others.
​