Neurodiversity
Autism and ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
I am a neurodivergent individual and work with many neurodivergent clients and enjoy it immensely. I have obtained certification as an ASD Clinical Specialist and am currently completing training as an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider. I have worked with neurodivergent clients since 2014 of a variety of ages. Many of the people I work with did not come to learn about their neurodivergence until later in life, and this can bring about much exploration and revising of past experiences.
I do not provide one-time assessments for either autism or ADHD, but instead provide those diagnoses as I work with clients over time. While one-time formal assessments can be a great resource, they are often hard to come by for adults and sometimes it is difficult to capture a full range of how neurological differences affect and individual in a short range of time.
resources for Autism
Embrace Autism is one of my favorite websites for some free assessments. The site contains mainly autism assessments. I especially recommend the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale - Revised or the Autism Quotient (AQ) as assessments to start exploring. The website also contains ways to seek a more formal diagnosis, which can be hard for many adults.
The book I most recommend for learning about autism initially is Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price, who just wrote a follow-up book called Unmasking for Life.
resources for adhd
For an online ADHD assessment, the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) or the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale can be good places to explore whether or not to pursue a formal ADHD diagnosis.
My favorite book for learning more about ADHD is Scattered MInds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder by Gabor Maté
