By Claire Mitchelmore – Provisional Psychologist

You, or your child or loved one, are displaying symptoms consistent with an Autistic brain style and have been referred to a psychologist for an assessment.  Receiving the news that you or a loved one may be autistic can bring up mixed emotions – relief and comfort that you may finally have some answers to the challenges you are facing and worry about what a diagnosis could mean. You may also feel unsure about whether pursuing a diagnosis is the right thing to do or may feel overwhelmed by what the diagnostic process might entail.

Knowing what to expect and how an assessment might be useful can be helpful in overcoming any reservations about taking this next step.

What happens during an autism assessment?

An autism assessment typically involves a meeting with the psychologist, either in person and/or via telehealth, in which they will:

• Gather information

Gather information about you or your loved one’s life, including strengths, challenges, and interactions with others during an initial interview. They may also ask about family history, developmental history, mental and physical health, and any other diagnoses. The psychologist may further request you to share any relevant documents, such as previous assessment reports, letters, or school reports for their review.  This information will help determine whether further assessment for autistic traits is appropriate or whether exploration of alternative explanations is required.

• Observe behaviour

Observe social interactions with others and may spend additional time observing children at play during structured activities to determine current functioning and development.

• Administer standardised questionnaires

Send standardised online questionnaires you and/or relevant people to gain an understanding of current behaviours, functional capacity, and sensory needs. This information is useful for understanding support needs and potentially accessing NDIS funding, depending on the outcome of the assessment.

• Conduct a diagnostic interview

Conduct a secondary interview with the you and/or a chosen support person to determine whether you or your loved one displays the behaviours consistent with an autism diagnosis, focussing on current and developmental phases in your life.

•  Cognitive testing

The assessment may include cognitive testing to assess your intellectual capacity, memory, judgment, perception, and reasoning. The results from these assessments are helpful in making recommendations for support in educational and work settings.

• Further evaluation

Occasionally, include further assessment with a medical professional or allied health service such as an Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist or Orthoptist to rule out medical or other causes for symptoms and behaviours.

After all the information has been gathered, the psychologist will write a report with their conclusions and reasons for them. The psychologist will then schedule a feedback session to share the outcome of the assessment, share their recommendations for support, and answer any questions you or your loved ones may have. The assessment report will then be sent to you or your loved one and, with your permission, to any other healthcare professionals who referred you.

Throughout the assessment process, you should expect to be listened to and to feel heard and validated by your assessor. The assessment process should be conducted in a neuro-affirming way, which means that you are able to feel that the strengths and differences of your brain are understood and taken into account, rather than feeling that there is something “wrong”, “deficit”, “disordered” or “bad” about you or your loved one.

Why is it critical to get an accurate diagnosis?

You may have reservations about whether having an ‘official’ diagnosis is helpful. Perhaps you, or well-intentioned family and friends, harbour concerns about the labels that may come with a diagnosis, feel like it’s better to wait and see whether things will improve with maturity, or downplay the severity of the challenges you’re facing. However, getting a diagnosis is helpful in  understanding both key strengths and why things may have felt different and challenging for you or your loved one. Here are some reasons why getting an accurate diagnosis is critical:

• Better understanding

A diagnosis can help you better understand how you or your loved one views and interacts with the world, providing greater self-insight and increased capacity for self-compassion. The assessment process will also help reveal key areas of strength to build upon, as well as areas of challenge that require further support.

• Improved social relationships

Understanding how you or your loved one prefers to relate to others can facilitate better social understanding in relationships, and how you can best be supported in those relationships. A diagnosis also provides the opportunity to join a large community of other neurodiverse folk who often understand and relate to your own experiences of the world.

• Empowerment

Sharing a diagnosis of autism often reduces judgement from allistic (non-autistic) people. Understanding of strengths and challenges can help empower you and your loved ones to advocate for your needs. Advocacy often empowers autistic people be more authentic in their interactions, reducing stress and anxiety from the effort that comes with masking certain behaviours.

• Access to support and funding

Understanding of your, or your loved one’s, functional needs can help you access services and support that can improve your quality of living. Assessment information can be used to request reasonable adjustments at school or at work to provide better individualised support, disability provisions and accommodations, if needed.

A timely and accurate diagnosis can therefore be helpful in improving the quality of life not only of the individual but also their immediate family, who often gain greater insight and understanding into their unique talents and daily living needs.

How do assessments inform therapy and support plans?  

The assessment process helps identify strengths, challenges, and functional and sensory needs. This allows therapists to tailor treatment plans that best support you or your loved one. Your autism diagnosis can help your psychologist to support therapy and support plans by:

• Creating treatment plans

Creating a treatment plan that addresses your specific emotional, social, cognitive and behavioural needs whilst building on identified strengths. This plan may be adjusted as you mature and develop throughout your stage of life.

• Developing neuro-affirming therapies

Adapting existing therapies to better suit your neurodivergent brain style to help with anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and other mental health issues. They can also develop social skills programs to help with social interactions.

• Supporting families and caregivers

Providing education, strategies, and other support to help families and caregivers assist their loved ones. This can include training in understanding sensory sensitivities, creating a supportive home environment, and support in advocating for your, or your loved one’s, needs.

• Working with allied support

Collaborating with your occupational therapist, speech therapist or other support workers to identify how they can provide practical neurodivergent support and strategies that can be used at home, school, or work.

• Communicating with medical professionals

Liaising, with your consent, with relevant medical professionals such as your GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician to monitor and evaluate the impact of any medications or medical conditions on your mental health and behaviour and provide guidance on how best to approach treatment given your neurodivergent brain style and possible sensory needs.

• Advocating for support

Using assessment information and needs identified through therapy to advocate for your functional and sensory needs in educational and employment settings, and motivate to apply for or adjust disability funding if required.

As you can see, information from the assessments is used to an inform a holistic approach to treatment in which a team of professionals often collaborates to provide you with individualised support after diagnosis. 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

At Spencer Health, we assess and work with autistic children, adults, parents, and neurodiverse families. We offer a range of services including assessment, therapy and coaching with many services being delivered via telehealth. If you are ready to book in an assessment for yourself or your child, or are interested in having an initial conversation with one of our trained psychologists to decide if it is worth pursuing an assessment, please get in touch. Spencer Health is a neuroaffirming organisation and we are lucky to count many neurodivergent psychologists as colleagues.

If you would like to meet more of our team, or learn more about our services you can do so here https://spencerhealth.com.au/spencer-health-team/ or if you are ready to book in, you can do so here https://spencerhealth.com.au/contact/