Credentialism

We provide strengths based, culturally informed & identity-affirming diagnostic assessments for Autism & ADHD for adults in North Carolina and PA. Under law, in both NC and PA, clinical social workers with specialized training in Autism and ADHD are permitted to offer valid Diagnostic Assessments with Written Evaluations which can be used to request work and/or school accommodations. This requirement is met by the Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS) training, the certified clinical specialist in ADHD (CCP-ADHD) training, and other assessment specific trainings for Autism and ADHD in adults.

Context

There are significant racial, gender and economic disparities in Autism and ADHD diagnosing. In short: women, queer & trans people, under-resourced folks, and/or people of color are often under enormous pressure to mask their discomfort in ways that people shielded by white privilege, resources, and cis-hetero-normativity are not. Additionally, these same communities often acquire certain skills linked to survival, and will have their neurodivergence overlooked because it presents non-stereotypically. From a culturally informed lens, we start to see that having certain skills do not automatically rule out a person from also legitimately having, and struggling with, Autism &/or ADHD.

Ethos

We aim to provide these diagnostic assessments from a lens that is trauma informed, identity affirming, relational, liberation based, strengths based, and with systemic/societal contextual analysis. We aim to de-pathologize your experience and offer a neurodivergent framework that gives you access to more self compassion, self advocacy, self accommodation, and more insight into your interpersonal dynamics in relationships.

Methods

Historically, and still today more commonly, these types of diagnostic assessments are done by Psychologists. This assessment service is not a full neuropsychological evaluation and does not include assessing for learning disabilities nor do we administer IQ testing. These assessment services are best for under-diagnosed populations and non-stereotypically presenting profiles of neurodivergence in adults without co-occurring intellectual or developmental disability. We use standardized screeners & assessments in combination with an anti-oppressive and trauma informed analysis to create our diagnostic impressions.

Something that is unique about our assessment program, is that we look at the big picture. All assessments include screening for ADHD, Autism, OCD, Mood disorders, and Trauma & PTSD. Because we often see many overlapping experiences and symptoms across the neurodivergence spectrum, we are careful and thorough in our differential diagnosing process. We don’t offer stand alone assessment (ex. just Autism, just ADHD, just OCD).

The only exception is we will do ADHD re-evaluations when a client comes to us with a documented previous diagnosis of ADHD and needs updated evaluation and documentation for the purposes of school accommodations or access to medication.

Risk

We may not know to the extent we need to be worrying about risks in this moment, but we try to stay as informed as possible with information on potential risks for formal diagnosis in vulnerable populations. Generally, “good” reasons to pursue formal diagnosis from us includes seeking school/work accommodations, or seeking leave from work or school. We do offer testing only without written evaluation for folks concerned about the risks of carrying a formal Autism diagnosis.

Accessibility

We aim to be accessible in our practices wherever possible. This service is far cheaper than a full neuropsych eval, but we recognize prices may still be out of range for a lot of people. We do reserve space for reduced fee assessments.

Costs

Self Pay Costs:

• Scheduled assessment appointments: $200/hr

• ADHD re-eval report: $400

• Full Assessment written report: $800

  *We bill insurance where possible, but cannot guarantee full coverage of services.

Process

Send your inquiry through the contact page, and we’ll get in touch to schedule an initial consultation to meet & discuss logistics. From there, if the fit mutually feels good, you’ll be sent initial paperwork, and we’ll schedule your assessment appointments. For scheduled appointments for administering assessments and completing diagnostic interviews, the typical time frame needed is 4-8 hours. Once all diagnostic assessments are administered, you can expect your written diagnostic evaluation & explanation of results within 4 weeks.