Adult Autism Testing In White Bear Lake, MN

NOT KNOWING IF You Have Autism is Confusing

You may feel like you are always on the outside and don’t fit in during social situations. You may have less of a need for social interaction than others you know, or you desire to have more friendships but can’t seem to crack the code that others seem to know about how to develop and maintain friendships. You may find yourself observing others to figure out the correct ways to act and adjusting your own behaviors to meet the expectations of others. 

Do You Relate to Any of the Following?

  • You have difficulty talking about your feelings and identifying your emotions.

  • You use and prefer interacting with others who use more direct styles of communication.

  •  You don’t like to engage in small talk.

  • You tend to get stuck on thoughts, perceptions, or activities.

  • You have (or had as a child) sensory seeking behaviors and/or become easily dysregulated when there is too much sensory input.

  • You feel like other people have a built-in manual for how to handle social interaction that you somehow missed out on.

IMAGINE Having an Understanding of Yourself That Helps You Know What to do NEXT

With a comprehensive autism evaluation, you will have a greater understanding of yourself and the unique traits that make you who you are. Joining the autistic community, you can connect with others who have faced similar challenges of being neurodiverse in a neurotypical world. My hope is that you will see the value of neurodiversity and feel empowered to embrace your true, authentic self.

HOW IT WORKS

What Happens During Adult Autism Testing?

Step 1: Intake (1 to 2 hours)

We will meet virtually so your psychologist can learn background information and current concerns. There is nothing you need to do to prepare for the intake, just come as you are! We will use the information from the intake session to develop an individualized testing plan.

Step 2: Testing (3 to 5 hours)

An in-person testing appointment will occur about 1 week after the intake. You will engage in a variety of tasks to help us learn more specific information about you. The testing appointment is sometimes broken into multiple days.

Step 3: Feedback (1 to 2 hours)

The feedback appointment occurs about 2 weeks after the testing appointment. You will have a copy of the evaluation report and your psychologist will go over the results of the testing, including any diagnoses, discuss specific recommendations and next steps, and answer any questions you have. You will leave this appointment with clarity and confidence about what do to next.

 FAQs About Adult Autism Testing

  • This is really a personal choice. Self-diagnosis of autism is definitely valid. If you have done your own research and autism describes your life experience, you do not need an evaluation to identify as autistic. Some prefer to go through the evaluation process to gain a further understanding of themselves, and having a clinical diagnosis can feel reassuring and further validating. Many other diagnoses have similarities with autism and/or co-occur with autism, and a comprehensive evaluation can be helpful in teasing this out.

  • There is nothing that you need to do to prepare for the autism evaluation process. Dr. Hall will first meet with you virtually and ask about what life has been like for you at different ages. This is a time for you to share your story. You are welcome to share as much or as little information as you are comfortable with. About a week after the virtual intake appointment, you will meet with Dr. Hall in person at our office in downtown White Bear Lake. We want the environment to be as comfortable for you as possible. Many of our clients prefer dim lamp lighting, to take off their shoes or wear slippers, to have the background noise of a sound machine, to engage with fidgets we have at our office, or to bring their own manipulatives or other self-regulation tools. During the in-person testing appointment, Dr. Hall will ask more targeted questions about your life experiences, have you engage in a variety of short tasks that take about 5 minutes each, and have you complete rating scales and self-questionnaires.

  • There is not anything that is required for you to bring to the in-person autism testing appointment. Any previous evaluations or documents you wish to share can be uploaded to our online Client Portal system as part of the intake paperwork or at any point throughout the autism evaluation process. It can often be helpful to bring a water bottle and snacks to the in-person appointment. You are also welcome to bring your own fidgets, manipulatives, slippers, or anything else that would help you feel comfortable during the appointment.

  • Adult and child autism are diagnosed using the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). We recognize the controversy and inherent problems with the DSM-5-TR as it relates to autism such as viewing autism as a deficit based disorder and its over reliance on outward observable behaviors. Our evaluation process does obtain information about outward behaviors while also placing high value on the internal experiences of the individual, such as how they might be masking or camouflaging autistic behaviors that make them less observable. While being autistic can present a number of challenges, especially living in a neurotypical world, there are also many strengths and amazing qualities of being autistic. Our evaluations highlight these strengths while also validating the challenges that many autistic people encounter.

  • The third and final autism assessment appointment is held virtually. Dr. Hall will go through the autism evaluation report with you, explain the results, and discuss recommendations and next steps. This is often a collaborative discussion where you can ask any questions you have about the testing, results, and recommendations. You will have an electronic copy of the autism assessment report that is yours to keep. Dr. Hall will continue to be available to discuss any further questions you have as you have more time to go through the report on your own and as you begin seeking additional resources, supports, and advocacy.