Autism and ADHD Evaluations for Children & Teens in Minnesota
Could Your Child Be Autistic, Have ADHD, or Both?
Sometimes, a child's experiences seem to fit with autism in some ways and ADHD in others. You may notice differences in attention, organization, social communication, sensory processing, or emotional regulation and wonder how these experiences fit together.
Perhaps your child becomes deeply absorbed in their interests but struggles to focus on schoolwork. They may rely on predictable routines while having difficulty staying organized or following through with everyday tasks. You might also notice that they manage expectations at school but become overwhelmed or exhausted once they get home.
Autism and ADHD frequently occur together, and some characteristics can overlap or influence one another. Understanding what is contributing to your child's experiences can help you recognize their strengths and identify the supports they need.
White Bear Psychological Services provides comprehensive autism and ADHD testing and evaluations for children and teens throughout Minnesota. Our neurodiversity-affirming evaluations consider both conditions within the same individualized assessment, helping families understand whether their child is autistic, has ADHD, both, or whether other factors better explain their experiences.
When Should You Consider Evaluating Your Child for Both Autism and ADHD?
A combined autism and ADHD evaluation can be helpful when your child has characteristics associated with both neurotypes, or when an existing diagnosis does not fully explain their experiences.
Some families seek an evaluation because their child has difficulty with attention and organization alongside sensory sensitivities, differences in social communication, or a strong need for predictability. Others have a child who has already been diagnosed with ADHD or autism and are beginning to recognize characteristics associated with the other condition.
A combined evaluation may also be helpful when your child has strong cognitive or academic abilities that make certain difficulties less apparent, or when parents, teachers, and other adults have very different perspectives on their experiences.
At White Bear Psychological Services, we can evaluate autism and ADHD together within one comprehensive assessment. We consider how these neurotypes may overlap, interact, and influence your child's experiences, while also exploring other relevant developmental, learning, and emotional factors.
Can a Child Have Both Autism and ADHD?
Yes. Children and teenagers can be both autistic and have ADHD. These are distinct neurodevelopmental conditions that frequently occur together.
The informal term AuDHD is sometimes used to describe someone who is both autistic and has ADHD. AuDHD is not a separate diagnosis, but it can be a useful way for people to describe how these two neurotypes interact.
Autism and ADHD can both influence attention, executive functioning, sensory experiences, emotional regulation, relationships, and everyday routines. When they occur together, a child's experiences may be shaped by both in ways that are difficult to understand by considering each one separately.
Some children have characteristics of both conditions that are readily apparent. For others, one set of characteristics may be more noticeable, while another becomes easier to recognize as they grow older or encounter different expectations.
A comprehensive evaluation considers the child's developmental history, current experiences, and how their characteristics interact across different areas of life.
Why Can Autism and ADHD Be Difficult to Distinguish in Children?
Autism and ADHD can influence some of the same areas of daily life, even when the underlying reasons are different. This overlap can make it difficult for parents, teachers, and sometimes clinicians to determine which diagnosis best explains a child's experiences.
Attention and Focus
A child may have difficulty focusing because a task is not engaging, their attention is easily pulled toward other things, or the environment is overwhelming. Another child may become deeply absorbed in an interest or activity and have difficulty shifting their attention away from it.
These experiences can be related to ADHD, autism, or both, depending on the broader developmental picture.
Social Communication and Relationships
Both autistic children and children with ADHD can experience difficulties navigating certain social situations.
A child with ADHD may interrupt conversations, lose track of what someone is saying, or respond impulsively. An autistic child may experience differences in communication style, interpreting unspoken expectations, or navigating social interactions with people who communicate differently.
Some children experience several of these differences together. Their social experiences may also be influenced by sensory needs, anxiety, previous relationships, or the expectations of the people around them.
Transitions and Changes in Plans
Moving between activities can be difficult for several reasons. A child may struggle to disengage their attention, remember the next steps, manage an unexpected change, or cope with the uncertainty or sensory demands involved in a transition.
Understanding what makes transitions difficult can help identify supports that fit the child's needs.
Emotional Regulation and Overwhelm
Autism and ADHD can both be associated with intense emotional experiences and difficulties managing overwhelm. Sensory discomfort, executive functioning demands, frustration, uncertainty, and accumulated stress can all contribute.
A comprehensive evaluation explores the situations in which these experiences occur, what may be contributing to them, and how the child's environment influences their ability to manage everyday demands.
Because similar behaviors can have different explanations, we consider developmental history, context, and the child's own experiences alongside observations and standardized assessment findings.
What Can It Look Like When a Child Is Both Autistic and Has ADHD?
When autism and ADHD occur together, they can interact in ways that create a distinctive combination of strengths, difficulties, and support needs.
For example, a child may rely on predictable routines because they find uncertainty overwhelming while also having difficulty remembering steps, keeping track of time, or maintaining those routines.
Another child may seek novelty, movement, and stimulation to stay engaged while also being particularly sensitive to noise, crowds, or other sensory experiences.
A child may become deeply absorbed in meaningful interests while finding it difficult to begin everyday tasks or shift their attention when needed.
These experiences can sometimes seem contradictory to parents and teachers. Strategies that help with one need may create difficulties elsewhere. A highly structured routine might provide predictability while also becoming difficult to maintain. A stimulating environment might help a child stay engaged while increasing sensory overwhelm.
Understanding these interactions helps us develop recommendations that consider the child's full range of needs.
For a more detailed discussion, read our article, ADHD and Autism Together: Similarities, Differences, and the AuDHD Experience.
How Can Autism and ADHD Be Overlooked in Teenagers?
For some teenagers, questions about autism and ADHD emerge as social, academic, and everyday demands become more complex.
A teenager may have managed reasonably well during elementary school but begin experiencing difficulties with organization, long-term assignments, changing schedules, friendships, or increasing expectations for managing responsibilities independently.
Some teens, particularly those with strong academic abilities or more internalized presentations, may have developed effective strategies for navigating expectations while experiencing significant effort, exhaustion, or distress that others do not recognize.
Autistic characteristics may be less apparent when a teenager has learned to observe and adapt to the social expectations around them. Similarly, ADHD-related difficulties may be overlooked when a teen earns good grades but relies on last-minute work, extensive reminders, or considerable effort to keep up.
For teenagers who are both autistic and have ADHD, these experiences can interact in complex ways. Increasing academic demands, changing friendships, sensory experiences, and executive functioning difficulties may all affect their capacity to navigate school and everyday life.
When evaluating teenagers, we consider their developmental history alongside their current experiences, including the effort involved in meeting expectations, their own understanding of their difficulties, and how their needs may be changing.
We also recognize the importance of involving teenagers in the evaluation process and helping them understand the findings in a way that supports self-understanding and self-advocacy.
How Do We Evaluate Autism and ADHD Together?
A comprehensive autism and ADHD evaluation brings together information about your child's development, everyday experiences, strengths, and support needs.
At White Bear Psychological Services, we use an individualized approach that considers both conditions within the broader context of the child. The evaluation is designed around the questions your family is seeking to understand.
Depending on your child's age, history, and needs, the evaluation may include:
Developmental History and Parent Perspectives
We explore early development, communication, play, relationships, attention, activity level, interests, sensory processing, emotional experiences, and patterns that have developed over time.
Attention and Executive Functioning
We consider sustained attention, working memory, task initiation, organization, planning, time management, impulse regulation, and other executive functioning skills, including how these affect everyday life.
Social Communication and Relationships
We explore communication styles, friendships, social experiences, and how your child understands and navigates interactions. We also consider the role of masking, particularly for children and teens whose differences are less apparent to others.
Sensory Processing, Interests, and Responses to Change
We consider sensory experiences, focused interests, predictability, transitions, and how environmental demands may influence emotional regulation.
School Experiences and Learning
We review relevant educational information and consider how attention, communication, sensory needs, cognitive abilities, and learning demands affect your child's experiences at school. Teacher input and school records can provide valuable information when available.
Individualized Testing and Questionnaires
The evaluation may include cognitive and neuropsychological testing, structured autism assessment measures, standardized rating scales, clinical interviews, and other measures selected for your child's needs.
We also consider anxiety, learning differences, giftedness, trauma, and other factors that may be contributing to the overall picture.
No single test can determine whether a child is autistic, has ADHD, or both. We interpret findings alongside developmental history, observations, information from multiple settings, and the child's own experiences.
Our goal is to understand your child as fully and accurately as possible, including how their strengths, difficulties, and support needs interact.
What Can Families Learn From a Combined Autism and ADHD Evaluation?
A combined autism and ADHD evaluation can provide valuable information about how your child thinks, learns, communicates, and experiences the world.
Depending on the findings, the evaluation may help your family:
Determine whether diagnostic criteria are met for autism, ADHD, both, or another condition.
Understand how attention, executive functioning, sensory processing, and social communication interact.
Recognize strengths and abilities that may not be fully reflected in school performance or everyday behavior.
Better understand situations that contribute to overwhelm, exhaustion, or emotional distress.
Identify practical accommodations, strategies, and environmental supports for home and school.
Understand whether additional educational, therapeutic, or other supports may be helpful.
You will receive a comprehensive written report explaining the findings, any diagnoses, and individualized recommendations.
When appropriate, the report can also provide information that families may share with schools when discussing accommodations, a 504 plan, an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or other supports.
Recommendations are developed around your child's individual needs, goals, and developmental context.
For children with advanced cognitive or academic abilities, our giftedness and twice-exceptionality evaluations may also be relevant.
What Happens During a Combined Autism and ADHD Evaluation?
Our comprehensive evaluations generally involve three appointments.
Step 1: Initial Interview (1 to 2 Hours)
We begin with a virtual meeting with parents or caregivers to discuss your child's developmental history, current experiences, strengths, and the questions you hope the evaluation will answer.
This information helps us develop an individualized assessment plan that considers both autism and ADHD, along with any other relevant concerns.
Step 2: Individualized Testing (3 to 5 Hours)
Testing typically takes place in person at our White Bear Lake office, approximately one week after the initial interview.
Your child will participate in structured activities, questionnaires, interviews, and other assessment measures selected based on their age and individual needs.
We recognize that testing can involve sensory, attention, social, and emotional demands. Breaks are available as needed, and testing can sometimes be divided across more than one appointment.
Step 3: Feedback and Written Report (1 to 2 Hours)
Approximately two to three weeks after testing, we meet virtually to review the findings, discuss any diagnoses, answer questions, and talk through practical next steps.
Depending on your child's age, needs, and preferences, they may participate in some or all of the feedback appointment.
You will receive a comprehensive written report with the evaluation findings and individualized recommendations for home, school, and everyday life.
Who Provides Autism and ADHD Evaluations for Children and Teens?
Evaluations at White Bear Psychological Services are provided by professionals with extensive experience in child and adolescent development, psychological assessment, and school-based supports.
Dr. Rebecca Kanive, Ph.D., NCSP, is a nationally certified school psychologist and a licensed school psychologist in Minnesota, with more than 15 years of experience working with children and adolescents. Her background includes comprehensive assessment of learning, attention, developmental differences, and emotional concerns. She provides evaluations under the supervision of Dr. Matt Hall.
Dr. Matt Hall, Ph.D., LP, is a licensed psychologist with extensive experience in psychological and neuropsychological assessment. He also has more than a decade of experience working in school settings and has particular experience evaluating autism and ADHD, including presentations that may have been overlooked or are less apparent to others.
Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based. We consider each child's experiences within the context of their development, relationships, environment, and support needs.
How Much Does a Combined Autism and ADHD Evaluation Cost in Minnesota?
The fee for a comprehensive evaluation at White Bear Psychological Services is $3,300. Autism and ADHD can be considered together within the same individualized evaluation, based on your child's developmental history and the questions being explored.
The fee includes the initial interview, individualized testing, scoring and interpretation, feedback appointment, and comprehensive written report.
White Bear Psychological Services is an out-of-network provider and does not bill insurance directly. We can provide a superbill that you may submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your insurance benefits.
HSA and FSA funds are accepted, and no-interest payment plans are available.
Learn more about our fees and financial options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Autism and ADHD Evaluations for Children and Teens
-
Yes. A child or teenager can meet diagnostic criteria for both autism and ADHD. The term AuDHD is sometimes used informally to describe someone who is both autistic and has ADHD. A comprehensive evaluation can consider both diagnoses and how they interact.
-
No. At White Bear Psychological Services, autism and ADHD can be assessed together as part of one comprehensive, individualized evaluation. The specific testing is selected based on your child's developmental history, current experiences, and the questions being explored.
-
An autism evaluation may be helpful when ADHD does not fully explain your child's developmental history or current experiences. For example, you may notice differences in social communication, sensory processing, focused interests, or responses to changes and uncertainty that warrant further exploration. A comprehensive evaluation considers whether autism, ADHD, both, or other factors best explain the overall pattern.
-
An ADHD evaluation may be helpful when your child experiences difficulties with attention regulation, organization, working memory, task initiation, or impulse regulation that are not fully explained by their autistic characteristics or other factors. Autism and ADHD frequently occur together, and identifying both can help guide more individualized supports at home and school.
-
Yes. Some autistic and ADHD children have strong reasoning abilities, advanced academic skills, or effective strategies that help them succeed at school. Academic achievement does not rule out either diagnosis. An evaluation considers the effort involved in meeting expectations, differences across settings, and the child's broader developmental experiences.
-
Differences across settings are important to explore. Some children experience different sensory, social, and executive functioning demands at home and school. Others use considerable effort to manage expectations during the school day and have less capacity for additional demands afterward.
We consider information from multiple settings and explore why different people may describe the child's experiences differently.
-
Yes. Anxiety, learning disorders, and other developmental or mental health conditions can occur alongside autism and ADHD. A comprehensive evaluation considers these possibilities when relevant to your child's history and current experiences.
-
The written report can include individualized recommendations and documentation that families may share with their child's school. The findings can inform discussions about accommodations, a 504 plan, an IEP, or other services. School teams determine eligibility and which supports or services are provided.
-
We recognize that evaluations can involve unfamiliar people, settings, and demands. We work to make testing predictable and developmentally appropriate, with breaks and adjustments to the pace when possible. Depending on the child's needs, testing can sometimes be completed across more than one appointment.
Schedule an Autism and ADHD Evaluation for Your Child
If you are wondering whether your child is autistic, has ADHD, or both, a comprehensive evaluation can help you better understand their experiences and identify supports that fit their needs.
White Bear Psychological Services is located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and provides autism and ADHD evaluations for children and teens from Minneapolis, St. Paul, the greater Twin Cities area, and communities throughout Minnesota.
You do not need to know which diagnosis applies before reaching out. We welcome families who are still exploring the possibilities and would like help determining an appropriate starting point.
Contact White Bear Psychological Services to ask questions about our evaluation process or schedule an appointment.