Autism & AuDHD Assessment Overview

Understanding Yourself, Affirming Your Story

If you're seeking a thoughtful, supportive assessment for Autism, ADHD, or AuDHD (both Autism and ADHD together), you're in the right place. My approach is collaborative, strengths-centered, and designed to help you feel seen, not pathologized.

Every step is flexible, at your pace, and focused on making sense of your unique experiences.

A Collaborative Process, Centered on You

This isn’t about fitting you into a box — it’s about understanding your patterns, strengths, needs, and possibilities.

If you have questions or want to schedule a consultation, you can [contact me] or explore more about [how I work with clients].

I’m honored to walk this path with you.

Here’s what to anticipate:

Phase 1 : Intake and Preparation (1-2 Sessions)

We start with a deep intake process designed to understand your background, goals, and early patterns that may shape your experiences.

  • You’ll complete:

    • An intake packet through my client portal, broken into small, manageable sections

    • A set of self-assessments focused on sensory experiences, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and attention

  • Optional Support Available:

    • Body Doubling Session: If paperwork feels overwhelming, we can schedule a session where you complete it with me present for support and accountability.

    • Sensory Reflection Worksheet: A gentle worksheet to help you notice your sensory preferences, sensitivities, and soothing strategies before our sessions.

    This phase lays the foundation for a meaningful and personalized assessment experience.

Phase 2: Clinical Interview (5-6 Sessions)

These sessions use a structured but conversational format to explore your lived experience across different domains. This includes the MIGDAS-2, a tool designed for neurodivergent-affirming assessment through storytelling and dialogue. These conversations are intended to be collaborative, flexible, and centered on your voice.

The heart of the assessment is a series of structured but conversational interviews based on the MIGDAS-2 framework — a neurodivergent-affirming method centered around storytelling and lived experience.

We’ll explore the following areas:

Session 1: Special Interests & Self-Concept

  • Building rapport through discussion of your special interests, hobbies, or areas of expertise

  • Exploring your self-concept, experiences with masking, and sense of belonging

Session 2: Sensory Assessment & Interoception

  • A standalone focus on sensory sensitivities: auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive/vestibular

  • Exploring how sensory experiences impact physical health (e.g., reactions to smells, food textures, environments)

  • Assessing interoception: your awareness of internal sensations like hunger, thirst, pain, or fatigue

Session 3: Daily Functioning, Routine, and Sleep Patterns

  • Exploring executive functioning challenges related to daily tasks, time management, and organization

  • Reviewing habits and routines that provide structure or coping

  • Discussing sleep patterns, quality, and their impact on mood and functioning

Session 4: Emotional Regulation, Coping Strategies, and Trauma History

  • Discussing emotional regulation patterns, intense emotional experiences, and coping mechanisms

  • Identifying successful strategies and challenges with stress management

  • Exploring any trauma or stress history related to social experiences, bullying, or environmental overwhelm

Session 5: Social Communication, Relationships, and Strengths

  • Assessing social communication (verbal and nonverbal patterns) and navigating social expectations

  • Exploring relationship patterns in friendships, family, work, and romantic connections

  • Highlighting strengths, resilience, and successes in adapting to challenges

Optional:

  • If extra space or time is needed, we can schedule an additional overflow or processing session. Flexibility is built into the process—there’s no rush.

2-3 Week Gap for Report Writing & Review of Self-Assessments: Allocate time to thoroughly review session notes, self-assessments, and observational data.

Phase 3: Report Review & Integration (1–2 Sessions + Optional Follow-Ups)

After completing the interview series, I’ll spend about 2–3 weeks reviewing all notes, assessments, and observations to create a comprehensive report.

Your personalized report will include:

  • Diagnostic impressions (if applicable)

  • Key clinical themes and insights

  • Personalized support recommendations

  • Suggestions for accommodations, advocacy language, and next steps

We’ll meet to review your report together, making sure you have space to ask questions, reflect, and integrate what feels most important to you.

Optional Ongoing Support:

  • After completing your assessment, you can request to schedule monthly integration check-ins to support you as you apply insights, seek services, or navigate accommodations. These will be scheduled based on availability and referrals will be offered in the absence of availablity.

Integration & Next Steps (0 - 2+ Sessions)

  • 4-Week Integration Period: Allows the client time to process findings and integrate suggestions.

  • Optional Check-In Session for Treatment Planning + Referral: After the integration period, a check-in to discuss treatment planning or referrals may be helpful.

  • Reports finalized and made available for client to share with other providers and/or Release(s) of information signed for the therapist to share / discuss reports with others.

About Insurance & Provisional Diagnosis

  • If you're using insurance for this process, a provisional diagnosis is required to begin.

  • I usually observe that many clients meet the criteria for: Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood initially.

  • This reflects the real stress of navigating systems not designed with all brains in mind. This provisional diagnosis is not a final conclusion.

  • Diagnostic impressions specific to Autism and/or ADHD will be developed thoughtfully through our full conversations and clinical observations.

  • If you have questions regarding this, don't hesitate to get in touch with me and ask. I welcome any and all questions, especially considering the complexity of many healthcare and insurance systems in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The AuDHD assessment is a structured series of sessions designed to explore traits and behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including areas where these traits may overlap. We’ll cover topics such as sensory sensitivities, executive functioning, emotional regulation, social communication, and daily routines. Each session focuses on a specific area to ensure we gain a comprehensive understanding of your strengths, challenges, and unique experiences.

  • A body-doubling session is an optional service that provides additional support while you complete the self-assessment forms. During this session, I’ll be present with you to offer encouragement, accountability, and guidance as you work through the self-assessments.

    This session focuses on supporting any needs/preferences around executive function struggles.

    Body doubling can be especially helpful for those who struggle with executive functioning, focus, or procrastination. You’re not required to do it, but many clients find it beneficial. It is billed as a standard session to the method of payment you are utilizing and focuses on skill building by improving accessibility of the self-assessments, which can be challenging to complete independently, generate questions, and some clients find this session useful.

    Note: this is NOT a requirement or expectation, but is an available accomodation.

  • Before sessions, (upon request) I can send an overview of what we’ll be discussing and some optional prompts for reflection.

    These materials can help you consider specific aspects of your life, such as routines or sensory experiences, and gather your thoughts in advance.

    You’re welcome to bring any notes to our sessions if that helps you feel prepared and/or send notes to me for written review as a part of my report writing.

    Some clients have found this beneficial - especially those who feel most comfortable expressing themselves via writing vs. speaking. This can be discussed in the intake process and is an option, not an expectation.

  • Absolutely, yes.

    If you’re currently working with another therapist, we can coordinate so that our work can include any information about the support you’re already receiving.

    I can provide you with a summary or suggestions on how to share the assessment results with other providers, if that’s something you’d find helpful.

  • Life happens, and rescheduling may be necessary!

    I just ask that you provide at least 24 hours' notice if you need to change a session time.

    We can work together to find an alternative date that fits within our schedules.

  • Once the assessment is complete, we’ll have a report review session to discuss the findings, recommendations, and next steps.

    I also offer monthly check-in sessions for a few months after the assessment, which can be helpful for those interested in ongoing AuDHD-specific support.

    This is entirely optional and can focus on integrating insights from the assessment into your daily life, identifying resources, and developing self-advocacy skills.

  • Yes, after our assessment sessions, I’ll spend about 2-3 weeks compiling a comprehensive report that summarizes key findings and offers insights into Autism and/or ADHD traits that we identified.

    We’ll review this report together during our final session, where I’ll answer any questions and discuss next steps or recommendations.

Commonly Utilized Self Assessments

1. Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

  • Statements: 50

  • Purpose: The AQ is a widely used tool for identifying autistic traits in adults. It examines areas like social skills, attention to detail, imagination, communication, and preference for routine. It’s particularly useful as an initial screening tool to assess whether further evaluation for autism might be beneficial.

  • What It Measures: Social and communication skills, attention to detail, routine preference, and sensory sensitivities.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Autism Quotient

2. Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale–Revised (RAADS–R)

  • Statements: 80

  • Purpose: The RAADS–R was designed to identify autistic individuals who may go undiagnosed due to masking or presenting with subclinical traits. It’s particularly useful for those who have adapted to neurotypical expectations but still experience significant challenges.

  • What It Measures: Emotional, social, sensory, and motor functioning across different life stages.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: RAADS–R

3. Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1)

  • Questions: 18 (6 core questions in Part A, 12 supplementary questions in Part B)

  • Purpose: This screening tool identifies symptoms of ADHD in adults. Part A focuses on the most predictive traits, while Part B provides a broader view of symptoms that may warrant discussion with a clinician.

  • What It Measures: Core ADHD symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: ASRS v1.1 

4. Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)

  • Statements: 25

  • Purpose: This tool measures how much effort an individual puts into camouflaging or masking autistic traits in social settings. Higher scores often correlate with lower scores on other autism assessments due to the energy spent suppressing traits.

  • What It Measures: Social camouflaging, masking behaviors, and the impact of adapting to neurotypical norms.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: CAT-Q

5. Aspie Quiz

  • Questions: 121

  • Purpose: While not as rigorously validated as other tools, the Aspie Quiz provides detailed insights into autism-related traits. It is widely regarded as a favorite among autistic individuals due to its rich data visualization and comprehensive approach.

  • What It Measures: Autism-related traits, sensory sensitivities, and systemizing tendencies.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Aspie Quiz

6. Systemizing Quotient–Revised (SQ-R)

  • Statements: 75

  • Purpose: This tool measures a person’s inclination toward analyzing systems, patterns, and classifications. A high SQ-R score often indicates strengths in categorization, causal reasoning, and attention to detail.

  • What It Measures: Systemizing ability, pattern recognition, and logical analysis.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Systemizing Quotient–Revised

7. Empathy Quotient (EQ)

  • Statements: 60

  • Purpose: The EQ assesses emotional empathy, focusing on the ability to tune into and understand others’ emotions and thoughts. It’s particularly helpful in exploring social cognition and emotional awareness in autistic individuals.

  • What It Measures: Emotional empathy and social cognition.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Empathy  Quotient

8. Repetitive Behaviors Questionnaire (RBQ-2A)

  • Statements: 20

  • Purpose: This questionnaire assesses restricted and repetitive behaviors, one of the core diagnostic criteria for autism. It distinguishes between behaviors related to insistence on sameness (IS) and repetitive motor behaviors (RMB).

  • What It Measures:

    • Insistence on Sameness (IS): Preference for routines and resistance to change.

    • Repetitive Motor Behaviors (RMB): Actions like rocking, flapping, or ritualistic behavior.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Repetitive Behaviors Questionnaire

9. Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ)

  • Statements: 16

  • Purpose: A concise measure of emotional empathy and social awareness, the TEQ is a user-friendly tool for gauging empathy levels in adults.

  • What It Measures: The ability to emotionally understand and respond to others’ feelings.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Toronto Empathy Questionnaire 

10. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)

  • Statements: 20

  • Purpose: The TAS-20 assesses difficulties in identifying and describing emotions, a key component of alexithymia often associated with autism and ADHD.

  • What It Measures: Emotional awareness and introspection.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Toronto Alexithymia Scale 

11. Executive Skills Questionnaire (ESQ)

  • Statements: 36

  • Purpose: This tool evaluates executive functioning skills, such as planning, attention, organization, and self-regulation. It helps pinpoint areas where support may be needed.

  • What It Measures: Cognitive flexibility, working memory, impulse control, and goal-directed behavior.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: Executive Skills Questionnaire

12. Monotropism Questionnaire (MQ)

  • Statements: 20

  • Purpose: The MQ explores monotropism, a tendency to focus intensely on specific interests or stimuli. This can provide insight into how individuals prioritize attention and manage focus.

  • What It Measures: Attention focus, difficulty shifting focus, immersive engagement, and interest patterns.

  • Complete the Self-Assessment: https://dlcincluded.github.io/MQ/