Our ASD Assessment Offers Efficient Testing and Diagnosis. Book your appointment today.
In recent years, awareness of autism in adults has increased significantly. This is largely due to a rise in diagnoses and growing public understanding that receiving an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis—even later in life—can bring relief and valuable insights. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ASD affects individuals across all ages, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Autism is generally marked by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. While children with more pronounced symptoms are often diagnosed within their first two years, individuals with high-functioning autism may not receive a diagnosis until much later.
Autism is characterised by difficulty understanding the “unwritten” rules of language, resistance to change, and reluctance to engage socially Children and adolescents can reach adulthood without facing these struggles. The symptoms become more evident and impactful as adulthood approaches when school routines and structures are gone and parents and teachers are no longer there to support them.
A third to a half of individuals with autism also identify with ADHD. It is common for ADHD and autism symptoms to overlap – and the signs of each condition may look different in adulthood than in childhood. For example, CDC reports that hyperactivity in adults with ADHD may present as extreme restlessness or high activity levels that exhaust friends and family members.
There is a significant difference between the two conditions regarding social connectivity. Adults with ADHD often exhibit inattentiveness, social anxiety, and impulse control problems. Social deficits characterise autism diagnoses in adults. Lack of impulse control is likely to be the cause of a person with ADHD for example speaking out of turn. As a result of autism, people who talk over others are likely unaware of the expectations of speakers and listeners and do not understand the social context of their conversations.
Signs and symptoms of autism :
Common symptoms of autism in adults include:
ASD may manifest in the following ways in adults at home, as well as other places:
Symptoms of autism vary greatly from person to person based on the severity of the condition. Autism may manifest in the following or in similar ways at work:
Furthermore, autistic individuals may possess extraordinary abilities in visual skills, music, math, and art. It is estimated that 40 per cent of autistic individuals have a level of intelligence above or equal to average.
A formal autism evaluation may be required if you experience any of these or similar symptoms of autism. If you would like to learn more about autism assessment and diagnosis process then give our friendly team a call.
Our team consists of highly qualified psychologists who specialise in adult behavioural health. We are dedicated to providing empathetic, thorough, and confidential assessments that respect your personal journey and strive to offer the most beneficial outcomes.
If you suspect you have some of the symptoms of autism, schedule an appointment with our specialised psychologists with exceptional skills in diagnosing autism.
Six steps are involved in the diagnosis:
Behavioural questionnaires will be sent out to you and your partner/parent next of kin. This may include:
The Social Communication Questionnaire
Autism Spectrum Quotient
Adaptive Behaviour Questionnaire
Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). The ADI-R is a clinical interview with a caregiver or other family member that has known you very well from early childhood.
Early diagnosis and treatment can make a massive difference for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interventions for adult autism include therapy and setting up environmental accommodations that increase independence and improve quality of life. Interventions also depend on the level of support an autistic individual may need, and which personal differences they want to keep or change.
Attention to Detail
Autistic people often have great attention to detail and focus. This means they may be able to search through a lot of information for specific content.
Efficiency
Autistic people can be very good at following rules, sequences and orders, meaning with the right structure can be very efficient.
Logical Thinking
Autistic people can be very logical thinkers, as they can struggle to consider emotional factors. This brings an innovative and objective approach to problem solving.
Retention
Autistic people may be able to build encyclopaedic knowledge on topics of interest, retaining lots of information. Visual memory is often also strong.
The clinician use reliable diagnostic tools that research supports as being effective in making an autism diagnosis. Apart from essentials like the clinical interview, an adult autism assessment is best completed using these tools:
Fill out the form below, and we will contact you as soon as possible to schedule your appointment. We offer flexible and after-hours appointments for assessments and counseling, with immediate slots available for both in-person and Telehealth sessions.
Looking forward to supporting your journey to wellness.
We typically respond within 24 hours.
For urgent matters, please call us directly
