Autism Spectrum Disorder Testing for Older Adolescents & Adults
Psychological Testing for ASD (Level 1 / Mild – formerly Asperger Syndrome) in Tennessee and Michigan
“Why is it that I feel so different than everyone else?”
“Sometimes I feel like I’m an actor that’s playing a role.”
“What the heck does she mean when she says, ‘It’s no skin off my nose?’ That’s weird.”
“Why does everyone say that I sound like a robot when I talk?”
“Oh!! It’s time for Star Trek!”
When you read over the examples above did you think to yourself, “I can sure relate to this one or that one!?” While these are characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) it does not mean that you are autistic as any one of them could be characteristic of other things – including some unique feature about you. The idea is to determine if you have displayed a group of characteristics that have posed challenges in some form or fashion – usually in terms of the ease and quality of social interaction (including communicating and interpreting thoughts and feelings) and behavioral tendencies such as stimming (i.e., repetitive self-stimulating or self-soothing behaviors), reluctance to change routines (or reacting negatively to such changes) and a preference for highly specific interests to name a few.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently estimated that 2.1% of the United States population is autistic. The recognition of this condition as something that a person does not outgrow when they reach adulthood has motivated many people to get evaluated to see if they can get an answer to a question they’ve long wondered about…“Am I autistic?” Maybe you’ve wondered this about yourself. This may be especially true if you are a woman who is good at “masking” your symptoms and have feared being “discovered” or simply wish to know if this has been an unconsciously developed behavior to cope with the social repercussions of autism.
When people consider getting evaluated for ASD it is usually because something has happened to prompt this action – perhaps a conflict with a family member, getting fired from (or quitting) a job or frustration that others don’t seem to “get them” or – vice-versa – that they have problems understanding people. Of course, it could also be because a person was previously diagnosed with this condition and wants to be revaluated for various reasons such as disability determination or for accommodations in college or the workplace. Whatever the case, your reason for wanting to be evaluated is valid. Isn’t it time to get this looked at to see what’s really going on?
What happens during an ASD evaluation?
- Interview. I will ask you questions about your family and school histories, whether you display behaviors that are typical of ASD or other psychological conditions and other areas such as health status, alcohol and drug use history and interests and hobbies. I try to make the interview as comfortable and non-threatening as possible by asking myself, “If I were the client, how would I want the psychologist to interact with me or treat me?”
- Psychological testing. I will have you answer a bunch of questions on questionnaires that are specific to ASD as well as questions that pertain to other psychological conditions that might be the actual problem OR that could be occurring with ASD.
What happens after an ASD evaluation?
Once the appointment is completed I will score and interpret the test results and write you a psychological evaluation report that contains a) the background information that I obtained from you during the interview, b) a description of the observations I made of you/your behavior, c) the test results, and d) summary, diagnosis and treatment plan. Treatment plan is just a fancy way of saying practical recommendations or strategies that you can use to help you a) deal with any problems you might be dealing with and b) grow and develop – personally, socially and academically and/or occupationally.
I’m the parent (or caregiver) of a person with suspected ASD OR a mental health professional who works with people with disabilities. Can I schedule an evaluation for them?
As you might know there are different severity levels of autism…mild, moderate and severe. This is one of the reasons it is referred to as a “spectrum” disorder.
I evaluate older adolescents and adults who have mild cases (or are suspected of having mild cases), i.e., symptoms and behaviors that have created problems for a person but are not serious enough to prevent them from doing things such as attending college/school, working, communicating (or understanding) basic ideas and/or performing activities of daily living. In past years, a mild case of autism was referred to as “Asperger Syndrome.” Some people still refer to themselves as “Aspies.” : )
So if you (or someone you know) likely fall into a mild category then I would be happy to help you. If the symptoms and behaviors likely fall into the moderate to severe category then I would be happy to refer you to another psychologist who could better serve your needs.
It’s time to take action!
So…what are you waiting for? Complete the contact form on this page to get the ball rolling. Or give me a call at (615) 403-5227 or shoot me an e-mail at chris@chrisquarto.com for additional information. You’re an assessment away from a brighter tomorrow! : )
Are you wondering if you are autistic? How about taking a six-question quiz as a starting point! https://quiz.