Adult ADHD and Autism Diagnostic Assessment

Adult ADHD and Autism Diagnostic Assessment

Many choose a diagnostic assessment because it provides a focused, affirming, and accessible way to explore neurodivergence.

This type of assessment is conducted by a master’s level licensed therapist, assessing symptoms and experiences including communication, sensory interests, and executive functioning through a comprehensive, clinical interview, and validated self report and clinician administered assessment tools.

The final report provides diagnostic impression or results, a detailed sensory profile, treatment recommendations, and neurodivergent-affirming referrals and resources.

Many find that this type of assessment is sufficient to support their personal understanding, therapeutic goals in clinical settings including expanding medication options, or seeking accommodations at school or work.

Wait times are generally shorter—often just a few weeks.

What’s included:

• Clinician-assigned, self-assessments

• The Sensory Profile-2 Assessment

• Clinical Interview including the MIGDAS-2

• Feedback Session

• Personalized Resource List

Then you’ll choose between

1. A 10+ Page Formal Diagnostic Report

2. A 1 Page Diagnostic Letter

Accommodation Letters are also an optional add-on.

Great question!

Many choose to an Adult ADHD and Autism Diagnostic Assessment—like the one offered by Hautz Counseling—because it provides a focused, affirming, and accessible way to explore neurodivergence. This type of assessment is conducted by a licensed counselor or therapist, assessing symptoms and experiences including communication, sensory interests, executive functioning using clinical interview and validated self report tools. The final report provides diagnostic impression or results, a detailed sensory profile, treatment recommendations, and neurodivergent-affirming referrals and resources. Many find that this type of assessment is sufficient to support their personal understanding, therapeutic goals in clinical settings, or seeking accommodations at school or work. Wait times are generally shorter—often just a few weeks—compared to a neuropsychological evaluation.

In contrast, a Neuropsychological Evaluation is a comprehensive evaluation for unclear or complex clinical presentations. Conducted by a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist, this evaluation assesses cognitive functions including attention, memory, language, and executive functioning using clinical interview and standardized testing. The resulting report provides diagnostic impression and results, a detailed cognitive profile, and treatment recommendations that are accepted in clinical, workplace, and educational settings. Additionally, this type of evaluation is often required for legal and medical settings. However, these evaluations often involve waitlists of 6 to 12 months or more, and for individuals seeking targeted insight into ADHD and Autism only, they may be more extensive and more costly than necessary.

Here are a few considerations…

1. Why Do You Want the Diagnosis?
   Everyone’s reason is different. Maybe you’re looking for accommodations at school or work. Maybe you are seeking a certain type of medication. Maybe you want to better understand yourself or make sense of your past. Knowing what you're hoping to get out of the process can help you figure out if a formal assessment is the best fit—or if something less structured might be just as helpful.

2. What Will You Do With the Diagnosis?
   While a diagnosis can be validating and open doors to support, it also becomes part of your medical record. It’s worth considering how that might impact things like employment, insurance, access to medical care, ability to travel internationally, legal rights, or how others perceive you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it—just that it’s okay to be informed, think critically, and protect your own wellbeing.

3. You Don’t Need a Diagnosis to Know Yourself
   Dr. Devon Price (a psychologist and writer) talks a lot about how self-identification is totally valid—especially when formal assessments are hard to access or expensive. If you’ve done your own research, connected with others, and feel seen in neurodivergent experiences, that matters. You don’t need permission to understand yourself. 

4. It Can Be a Big Investment
   Formal assessments can take a lot of time, energy, and money. Some people feel relieved and affirmed afterward; others feel drained or misunderstood. Make sure you’re going in with support and a clear sense of what you need, especially if it’s a big step emotionally or financially.

5. The Right Provider Makes a Difference
   Not all clinicians “get it”—especially when it comes to how Autism and ADHD show up in queer people, people of color, or those who mask well. Try to find someone who takes a neurodiversity-affirming approach, and who understands the full range of how these traits show up across different lives and identities.

--> To kickstart further research of considerations, you might check out Dr. Devon Price's substack here. 

I am not a medication prescriber, nor does this practice offer medication evaluation or services.

However, to make that step easier, I have drafted a free letter template (see below) that you are welcome to copy/paste into an email to your prescribing physician (Primary Care doctor, psychiatrist, etc.) to confirm whether the services that are offered here will meet their requirements regarding ADHD diagnosis.

Some prescribers prefer a full NPE, however many will accept a diagnosis from a licensed master’s level clinician with the appropriate training, experience, and diagnostic assessment process.

I strongly encourage each client to confirm that our services here will meet the requirements of your specific workplace or institution as the requirements differ from place to place.

To ease that process, I have drafted free letter templates for you below to copy/paste into an email the appropriate party.