Have you noticed that you prefer being alone and find social engagements to be exhausting and draining? Do you ever feel like you communicate or express yourself differently than those around you? Do you sometimes feel misunderstand by others because your experiences or reactions are different than others? Do you find certain sounds, lights, or textures to be overwhelming, even if others don’t see bothered? Do you find you do best with routine, structure, and consistency? Have you ever suspected that you may be autistic? Have other told you that you may autistic? We at Capitol Psychological Assessment, Inc. are here to help you gain clarity and understanding!
What is Autism?
Autism is a natural variation of the human brain that includes differences in development, communication, understanding, and experience of the world. It’s like having a unique operating system in your brain that may impact how you understand and interact with others. It is a way of seeing the world through a fresh lens. Just like everyone else, autistic individuals have their own strengths and challenges. Autistic individuals may experience intense creativity and passion, speak with great honesty, exhibit lazer focus, identify and recognize patterns that others’ miss, and express themselves in authentic and meaningful ways. In turn, they may experience life and communicate in ways that differ from the mainstream, which can make it easy to feel misunderstood or pressured to fit in.
Autism may look different in a few ways:
1. Communication: Autistic individuals might find it hard to pick up on neurotypical social cues, like understanding when someone is joking or feeling sad. They might also have difficulty expressing themselves through words or gestures. But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to communicate – they just have their own way of doing it.
2. Social Interaction: Making friends and understanding social situations can be a bit trickier for autistic individuals. They might not always know how to start conversations or join in group activities, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be part of things.
3. Repetitive Behaviors: You might notice some autistic people doing things like repeating the same movements or actions. These actions can help them feel comfortable and manage their feelings in a world that can sometimes be overwhelming. They might like routines and sticking to the same schedule because it helps them feel safe and happy. They might do things like rocking back and forth or repeating words and actions, to help themselves feel more safe and comfortable.
4. Sensory Sensitivity: Imagine having super senses – like being able to hear sounds that others can’t, or feeling textures more intensely. Autistic individuals can have these super-sensitive sensory experiences, and it might sometimes make certain sounds, lights, or textures uncomfortable for them.
5. Special Interests: Many autistic people have deep passions for specific topics. It’s like having a favorite subject that you’re really, really into – but for them, it might be something they’re incredibly knowledgeable about and can talk about for hours. For instance, they might really enjoy specific things like trains, animals, or numbers. The ‘spectrum’ part of autism means that it’s not the same for everyone. Some people might have more challenges in certain areas, while others might have fewer challenges and more strengths.
Why is Autism testing important and what does it consist of?
If you have ever felt different, misunderstood, or pressured to hide your true self, you’re not alone— and your experiences are real, valid, and may be associated with autism. Participating in psychological testing can help you better understand yourself, help inform treatment decisions, and open doors to a range of services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral interventions, and/or educational accommodations. Our neuroaffirmative approach to psychological evaluations aims to honor your story, and help you to make sense of the challenges you have faced, while celebrating the qualities that make you exceptional. A comprehensive evaluation can be an empowering first step toward embracing your neurodivergence, learning to advocate for yourself, providing your family with valuable insight, and connecting you to a larger community of people who share similar experiences.
At Capitol Psychological Assessment, Inc. autism testing involves a series of conversations and assessment measures, completed with a trained psychologist who specializes in understanding how people think, feel, and interact. The evaluation typically consists of three (3) to four (4) sessions and includes the following components:
1. Initial Consultation: The evaluating psychologist will review the testing process with you and gather information about what you hope to gain from the evaluation, as well as questions you may have. Expectations, fees, and potential outcomes will all be addressed in this initial free 15-minute consultation.
2. Initial Conversation/Interview: The evaluating psychologist will meet with you and ask questions about your history, experiences, challenges, and strengths. As part of this interview, your psychologist will also assess for other neurotypes and mental health conditions- such as ADHD or social anxiety- to help rule out other diagnoses that may look like autism.
3. Psychological testing: Next, you may be asked to fill out questionnaires where you talk about feelings, interests, or experiences. You may be asked to participate in interactive testing, which may include doing tasks, puzzles, and games to better understand how your brain works and better understand your strengths and challenges. Testing may also include assessment of how you communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, and how you respond to different sensory experiences. The assessment itself may vary slightly from one individual to the next, depending on a few factors such as speech level and age. Beyond this, other rating scales, tests of learning, attention and memory, and measures of mood/personality may be administered to ensure we arrive at the most accurate diagnosis/diagnoses possible. Testing will be tailored to your individual presentation and needed areas of exploration. Testing will take place over the course of one (1) to three (3) sessions.
4. Review of academic or treatment records: If authorized, the psychologist may review academic or treatment records to gather more information about your functioning in a school or work setting and consider prior diagnoses and treatment efficacy.
5. Collateral information: If authorized, the psychologist may gather information from family members, friends, teachers, providers, or other relevant sources to gain a more complete understanding of your experiences, challenges, and daily functioning.
6. Feedback session: You will participate in a meeting with the evaluating psychologist to discuss the results and findings of the evaluation. During the feedback session, the psychologist will review the psychological test findings, what those results mean, and share their observations and interpretations. The psychologist will provide a diagnosis, along with recommendations and next steps. You will be provided with a detailed report that outlines your story, diagnosis, and recommendations for moving forward in treatment, day-to-day life, work/school, and relationships. As warranted, you can request letters of accommodation to assist you in reaching your full potential in work and/or school.
Differential Diagnosis
It is important to note that autism testing is not a single test or procedure, but rather a comprehensive evaluation that may involve several components. Full psychological testing is important, because autism is a complex trajectory that can show up in different ways in different people and sometimes, experiences of autism can be confused with other conditions. For example, autism and ADHD can sometimes present similarly, which can make it difficult to distinguish between the two. For example, autistic individuals and individuals diagnosed with ADHD may both experience:
Difficulty focusing, staying organized, or following through on tasks
Difficulty managing unexpected change
Sensory sensitivities
Emotional or social differences