FOR ADULTS

Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessments

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Symptoms of autism can present differently in adults and many adults have learned to cope with their symptoms during adulthood, further complicating diagnosis.

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Common Concerns

Adults presenting with Autism Spectrum Disorder can display a wide range of difficulties, including:

  • Deficits in social communication and interaction, including difficulties in developing and maintaining friendships
  • Failure to initiate response to social interactions
  • Difficulties in understanding social rules and body language
  • Anxiety symptoms, including difficulties with coping with change and uncertainty
  • Lack of cognitive flexibility
  • Highly restricted and fixated interests
  • Unusual sensory interest
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Assessment Process
  • Initial Consultation: A 1 hour Autism Diagnostic Interview with the adult client to gather relevant background information such as family history, medical and mental health concerns, employment, and behaviours and symptoms. Various questionnaires are completed during the initial consultation to further assess for other skills such as social skills and adaptive functioning. Adaptive functioning is commonly measured using the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System – Third Edition (ABAS-3).
  • Clinical Interview: A 2-hour clinical interview is completed with an adult’s parent. This is completed using a gold-standard structured parent interview known as The Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R).
  • Autism Assessment: The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), Module 4 is completed with the adult client. The ADOS-2 is a semi-structured, standardised assessment of communication, social interaction, and restricted and repetitive behaviours. This assessment requires 1 hour.
  • Psychologist Report: The treating psychologist will prepare a comprehensive report detailing results, diagnosis (if applicable), and recommendations. Scoring and reporting is based on 6 hours of service.  
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