FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTISM EVALUATIONS:

You may be wondering if you even need a formal evaluation, especially if you have lived without one for so many years. Self-diagnosis is absolutely accepted as valid in the Autistic community and with the therapists at Heal ATL. If you are Autistic, you’re always going to be Autistic, whether your identification is confirmed or not. Some individuals, however, have reported feeling lost, still missing a crucial piece of understanding about themselves. In addition, when this "label" is absent, there's a risk of others assigning incorrect labels such as OCD or borderline personality disorder, which do not capture your true experience.

Many Autistic adults describe difficult and confusing childhoods, followed by a profound sense of relief and joy after receiving a late autism identification. This identification often brings numerous benefits, including a sense of belonging, connection, self-acceptance, and a supportive community that truly understands you. Being accurately identified as Autistic marks the beginning of a journey toward self-discovery for many, where you can start to understand your unique ways of navigating the world. It helps you explore your neurology, sensory perceptions, and cognitive processes, providing clarity on why you may have struggled in the past—often feeling like a square peg forced into a round hole. A collaborative Autistic identification can lead to personal empowerment, offering a better understanding of one's strengths and challenges. It can also open doors to services, supports, and accommodations that enhance functioning and overall quality of life. This process allows you to reinterpret your past experiences and behaviors from a new perspective, bringing relief as you finally begin to understand and accept yourself. With this newfound understanding, you can build on your strengths, find answers to long-standing questions, and develop a tailored plan to address your needs.

A formal evaluation may be required in some instances as well if you need documentation for work accommodations, or school accommodations.

1. Brief Phone Consultation with Brittany (Optional): Discuss your assessment goals, provide some basic background information, and ask any questions you may have about the assessment process. This is a free, no-obligation consultation.

2. Schedule Interview and Payment: Choose the interview date and time that works best for you on our online portal, electronically complete the required legal documents, biopsychosocial history, and make your payment online.

3. Online Assessments: You will be sent links to all of the 13 required electronic assessments such as the SRS-2, the SPM-2, the CAT-Q among others. All legal forms and empirically validated measures must be completed prior to the clinical interview.​​​​​​​

4. Clinical Interview: Meet virtually with Brittany for a 90-120 minute clinical interview using the MIGDAS-2.

5. Results and Report: Provider interprets and integrates the data from the empirically validated assessment measures, biopsychosocial history, and clinical interview. Written reports are available within 1-2 weeks of completing the clinical interview.

6. (Optional) Feedback Session: Schedule 50-minute follow-up session with Brittany to discuss the findings, recommendations, available supports, and your experience with the assessment and results.

Our fees are straightforward and transparent. Payment is due in full prior to the clinical interview. Please note: Heal ATL is considered an out-of-network provider with all insurance plans.

We offer 2 options and invite you to choose what meets your needs.

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Assessment and Formal Report: $900

Includes: electronic questionnaires and testing, HIPAA-compliant video conference clinical interview with your provider, and formal written report (~40-45 pages) that details the findings of the evaluation. Report will also offer customized recommendations for accommodations for work/school and strategies to help manage Autistic challenges effectively.

Assessment and Formal Report and Feedback Session: $1100

Includes: electronic questionnaires and testing, video conference clinical interview with your provider, formal written report that details the findings of the evaluation, and 50-minute follow-up session with your provider to discuss the findings, recommendations, available supports, and your experience with the process and results.

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If you would like to add on an ADHD evaluation to your Autism assessment, please consider the following:

Add-On Fee for ADHD Evaluation (prior to completing your Autism evaluation and report): $300

Add-On Fee for ADHD Evaluation (After your Autism evaluation and report have been completed): $600

At Heal ATL, we want to eliminate the barrier of long wait times and wait lists for assessments. We deliver results quickly. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Consultation call with the Brittany - Typically within one week of your inquiry. Use our online portal to schedule a time that works best for you. Or if you don't have any questions, you can go ahead and schedule your interview from the same link!

2. Clinical Interview with Brittany - Typically within one-two weeks of your consultation. You will just want to make sure you allow enough time to be able to complete your paperwork and online assessments prior to the interview.

3. ​​​​​​​Written report - We try to have your report back to you within a week of completing the clinical interview.

4. Follow-up services - Can be scheduled any time following completing your interview and receiving your report.

Psychologists certainly can offer testing for Autism. Currently, however, there are relatively few clinicians who specialize in evaluating and treating adults. We also hear from clients how stressful and traumatizing the outdated traditional ways of assessing autism can be for Autistic adults, with no real understanding of the neurodivergent experience, even when conducted by well-meaning professionals. It is also important to know that there are currently no standardized tests to assess if an adult is Autistic that are fit for purpose or reliable; that is, there is no ‘gold standard’ tests to identify Autistic adults. Assessments can help guide our clinical thinking, but are no substitute for thoughtful exploration with the neurodivergent person. Other barriers are significant costs associated with a formal evaluation with a psychologist or psychiatrist, incredibly long time commitments to reach a diagnosis, and long waits to even get an appointment.

Whoever you choose for your evaluation, you should make sure they are neurodivergent-affirming and are trained in assessing adult Autism. Ask questions. Make sure they are not using outdated assessment tools created for children as this can often lead to invalidating and sometimes traumatic experiences. The authors of "The Adult Autism Assessment Handbook: A Neurodiversity-Affirmative Approach" also suggest “not having a neurodivergent team member is a distinct disadvantage to any service that proposes to serve the Autistic community.” They suggest that it is highly recommended to have an assessor who is neurodivergent to help understand your experience.

*Please note that Heal ATL does not provide neuropsychological testing. If your assessment results find that neuropsychological or learning disabilities testing may be needed, you will be referred for those services to the appropriate professional. Cognitive or intelligence testing is not required for Autism evaluation unless you present with intellectual difficulties.

Brittany Hewitt, MA, LPC, CPCS, ACS, BC-TMH is currently offering Autism evaluations to adults ages 19+ and who are verbally fluent. She is both Autistic and ADHD neurotypes, a psychotherapist with over a decade of experience treating these populations, and a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. Book a free 15-minute consultation with Brittany to answer any questions you may have about Autism evaluations.