Interested in pursuing an autism diagnosis? Consider the following questions:
- Have you felt misunderstood much of your life?
- Have you had difficulty managing relationships?
- Is someone in your immediate or extended family autistic?
- Do you have a history of difficulty managing your emotions?
- Did you feel like you were missing life skills that seemed to come to others easily?
- Have you been accused of being “lazy,” “not trying hard enough,” or having “no common sense?”
- Do you seem to experience life as more difficult than others do without any ‘real’ reason why?
- Have you had several mental health diagnoses that didn’t seem to fit?
If some or all of these resonate, keep reading about how we can help.
What are the benefits of obtaining an autism diagnosis as an adult?
- A clear diagnosis can help you reframe your experiences and behaviors in a new, more affirming light.
- A path toward self-acceptance
- Answers to questions about yourself that have long gone unanswered
- Help identify strengths and ways to build upon them
- Access to resources
- Feelings of relief toward greater self-awareness
What are the challenges of obtaining a diagnosis?
- There can be presenting obstacles in a client obtaining and/or a clinician making a diagnosis which may include:
- Masking that can lead to core traits being hidden.
- Excellence in specific areas that cause others to ignore differences
- No blood or genetic test for ASD.
- Co-existing mental health diagnosis
Why choose us?
- Katherine Scott, M.Ed/Ed.S, LMFT is a Neuro-affirming clinician who has rich experience in serving those within the Neurodiversity community. Katherine has a passion for working with those with Autism, as well as broad Neurodiversity. Through her work, she has developed expertise that can aid in the proper diagnosis and representation for those of all genders in possible alignment with ASD for adults with verbal fluency.
- Following the assessment process, we can provide therapeutic support with our fellow Neuro-affirming, fully licensed clinicians on site.
What ages can be diagnosed at your practice?
We are currently able to assess individuals with verbal fluency in adolescents from 16 years of age through adults of any age.
What assessment tools are used?
MIGDAS-2
Katherine Scott, M.Ed/Ed.S, LMFT is trained in the administration and interpretation of the MIGDAS-2. This is a Neuro-affirming diagnostic interview designed to assist in assessing suspected Autism in adults with verbal fluency.
Unique features of the MIGDAS-2 include the interview process that allows the clinician to follow the dialogue of the person being assessed, as well as utilizing their sensory-driven worldview explored through discussions of topics of interests and sensory items.
With the MIGDAS-2, the clinician gathers systematically descriptive information pertaining to the individual in three separate areas: language and communication, sensory use and interests, and relationships and emotional responses.
- A family member, partner, or close friend can join you for the diagnostic interview segment, as they can aid in your recall of information or provide additional information and support which can aid the diagnostic process.
Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2)
To accompany this qualitative assessment, Katherine will also administer the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2). This quantitative assessment measures social responsiveness providing five scores including: Social Awareness, Social Cognition, Social Communication, Social Motivation, and Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior.
- A family member, partner, or close friend is strongly recommended to accompany you to the first segment of this assessment process of the SRS-2 to provide a second perspective on you. This increases the validity of the results.
How much time will the assessment process take?
A time block of 3 hours is requested for the completion of the assessments. Some assessments will take less than the 3 allotted hours, however for the sake of honoring the diagnostic process, we would rather have a plethora of time for you to utilize in completing the assessments.
Allow the clinician 3-4 weeks to complete interpreting the assessments and creating a Diagnostic Report. A 30 minute meeting (can be completed online) will be scheduled to go over the results.
I’ve heard I need a neuropsychological assessment for autism. Is that true?
We do not perform neuropsychological testing, as these tests are more specific to the administration of testing for children who need a broader scope of assessment to determine intellectual functioning. Neuropsychological testing is NOT required for an adult ASD diagnosis.
How much does it cost?
If you’ve shopped around, you know that most autism assessments cost upwards from $2500. We are currently able to offer a lower rate to make it easier for you to access the help you need.
Our assessment fees: $1300 + $200 for the comprehensive report
Report Style: A complementary Diagnostic Summary Report will be included in the overall assessment cost. For a Comprehensive Evaluation Report, an additional $200 will be required.
Available Payment Plan: Half of the payment is due at the time of scheduling the assessment, & the remaining half will be charged on the day of the assessment.
We accept all major credit cards, HSA/FSA cards.
Have more questions? Ready to get started?
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