assessment FAQ
Why does it matter to have a diagnosis of Autism or ADHD when you’re not a kid or in school? Who cares?
Autistic and ADHD brains have specific (often very individualized) care needs, and when those go unmet, especially chronically, we increase risks of severe mental health issues. This can, sadly, have very serious impacts on the quality of life for people living with these conditions that go untreated.
Recent studies have shown ADHD is highly connected to PMDD and severe perimenopause that leads to brain fog
ADHD is not just attention issues — it includes rejection sensitive dysphoria, emotional impulsivity-
Autism is highly correlated to many of the most lethal mental health issues. Suicide rates are 9x higher in autistic people without intellectual disabilities; addiction rates are 30% higher, rates of self-injury, unemployment, and divorce are higher. 70% of autistic people have disordered eating patterns and one study in England showed that 35% of people hospitalized with anorexia met clinical criteria for autism and were not diagnosed.…ALL of these things are connected to undiagnosed autism, and they are often lethal. Another study found that they suspect 90% of autistic people over the age of 40 are walking around, living their lives, without a diagnosis. This is fine until it isn’t — and a meltdown/shutdown can be catastrophic and deeply confusing for someone who doesn’t know that their brain may have specific care needs. This is an invisible and quiet crisis and deserves the full attention of all mental health professionals.
I feel strongly that the diagnosis and confirmation of suspected Autism and ADHD saves people’s lives.
When someone learns how their brain works, they can meet their needs more effectively.
Do I need a confirmed diagnosis to know I am Autistic?
Nope.
Self-diagnosis is valid and widely accepted in the Autistic community. It has also been shown to be very accurate when cross-checked with formal diagnostics later on, if that matters to you. Self-diagnosis/self-identification grants Autistic people the dignity and autonomy of owning our own story, often after a lifetime of being dismissed or overlooked in our experiences by providers who are not skilled enough to know the many ways Autism can look in many different people.
I’ve heard it said that neurotypical people do not spend hours or weeks researching whether or not they are Autistic. Something to consider.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26088060/
A 2015 study by Bram Sizoo et al. found self-diagnostic tools can be quite accurate and specific for correct autism diagnoses.
https://www.autismbc.ca/blog/autistic-adults/reasons-autism-self-diagnosis-is-valid/
Detail 3
Donec ac fringilla turpis. Nulla lectus ante, consequat et ex eget, feugiat tincidunt metus. Sed a ligula quis sapien lacinia egestas. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. In sit amet felis malesuada, feugiat purus eget, varius mi. Nulla eu pretium massa.