Should I have an ADHD or autism assessment?
Should I have an autism or ADHD assessment?
Is an autism or ADHD assessment and possible diagnosis worth it? What’s the point? This is something that I get asked a lot. It’s a useful question and the answer is always unique to the person asking it, depending on their circumstances.
Picture this, you’re a high achiever, a professional, you’ve been holding everything together and just about surviving the juggle of work, relationships, and perhaps becoming a parent. However, you’ve always felt a little different, you don’t know how or why, but it’s making you feel increasingly frustrated, ashamed, and isolated. You’re questioning whether you are neurodivergent and comparing yourself to others.
You might have learnt all the ‘tricks’ (“I need to…keep track of what people are saying, keep nodding to show I’m interested, stop doodling or I’ll look rude”) but these tricks aren’t working any more, or perhaps they never felt like they were working. Anyway, it’s exhausting having to pretend you’re someone you’re not, just to get by.
Perhaps recently your child has been discovered as neurodivergent. You sat in the assessment appointment describing the things you have noticed about them and thought, “That sounds like me! I used to do that when I was a child too”.
As a result, you might have been reading about neurodiversity and neurodivergence online. You think, “I sometimes do that too, but I’ve learnt to manage. That’s the same as everyone, right?” Well, perhaps it is and perhaps it isn’t.
What we know is, according to research, there are between half a million and a million adults who are currently autistic but undiagnosed in the UK and for ADHDers there remain around two million undiagnosed adults. That’s a huge number of people whose neurodivergence is unrecognised and perhaps as a result, unsupported.
Is it worth having an assessment for ADHD or autism?
A note about self-identifying
Many people in the neurodivergent community self-identify as an ADHDer or autistic after a deep dive into understanding themselves. Self-identifying is valid. Remember you do not need an official diagnosis to identify as, or be accepted as, neurodivergent.
However, if some of these experiences resonate with you and you’re wondering if it’s worth going through the journey of self-discovery towards seeking a formal assessment for ADHD or autism, here are some things you can ask yourself to help you make your decision.
1. Are these challenges having an impact on my life?
Remember, not everyone is ‘a bit autistic or ADHD’. Many people notice or identify with characteristics of neurodivergence, but it doesn’t affect them across different contexts, for example, in their relationships, at work or doing the things they love. If you have noticed that you are struggling with some of the characteristics of neurodivergence and that because of these differences, it is getting harder to perform your best at work, you’re struggling in relationships, or perhaps you’re feeling increasingly worried or upset about the future, then an assessment might be worthwhile exploring further. This is because your quality of life may be affected and having an assessment and possible diagnosis can be a further step towards making environmental changes or asking other people to make environmental changes, which can improve your quality of life.
2. Would I like to understand myself better?
If you’ve considered your possible neurodivergence for a while, but you’re not sure about whether there are enough characteristics there to be, well, “actually autistic or an ADHDer”, having space where you can speak freely about your experiences, with an experienced professional to support you to make sense of them can be liberating and validating. Remember you don’t need this to self-identify, but some people can find it reassuring.
If the assessment results in discovering an autism or ADHD diagnosis, this may spark a change in the narrative about yourself and your previous experiences, using a neurodivergent lens. It may be the beginning of a journey of self-discovery, acceptance and letting go of shame.
If the assessment doesn’t result in identifying an ADHD or autism diagnosis, then you will have given yourself the space to consider the challenges you have been experiencing from a psychological perspective and to rule neurodivergence out. Understanding yourself better is the beginning of building a life you want to live.
3. Do I want other people to understand me better?
We know that having words to describe someone’s experience can improve it because the words make the experience more relatable and understandable. Having words for some of the differences you experience can help other people to understand you better and you may feel more understood. Having a psychological understanding (e.g. a formulation) alongside identifying a diagnosis, can provide the language to summarise to someone else your experiences from a psychological perspective. If you think you would benefit from extra support in certain areas, for example at work, then a formal diagnosis can help, as reasonable adjustments to support autistic and ADHD people are required by law for workplaces in the UK.
4. Do I have experiences that I am trying to make sense of?
Many undiagnosed autistic people and ADHDers are also struggling with their mental health. However, mental health problems are not an inherent part of neurodivergence, and mental health problems can be treated. Many neurodivergent people have been misdiagnosed with mental health problems whilst their neurodivergence has been missed. Having a thorough assessment from an experienced professional who is qualified to assess, diagnose, and formulate from a psychological perspective, mental health and neurodivergence helps someone to make sense of their experiences. Following a neurodivergence discovery, many people begin to look back at their experiences with more compassion and understanding, which helps them to move towards a place of acceptance without shame.
Where can I have an ADHD or autism assessment?
Assessing and diagnosing neurodivergence is complex. To be able to do it well, the person assessing should be trained in mental health, trauma, different diagnoses (e.g. autism and ADHD) and what these might look like together and separately. They should have had experience working alongside other professionals who are assessing and diagnosing neurodivergence, learning from others and having the opportunities for observation and discussion to develop their skills. I have worked with neurodivergent people for over 14 years, assessing, diagnosing, and providing therapy for neurodivergent adults who are struggling with their mental health, as well as publishing academic articles about neurodivergence. I work online so I can help you from anywhere.
If you are considering having a neurodivergence assessment, what are the next steps?
Book a Neurodivergence Consultation with me. In this appointment, we will have 90 minutes to explore your experiences. We will investigate whether the characteristics you have noticed are suggestive of possible neurodivergence and whether a full ADHD or autism assessment is recommended. I will help you to weigh up the pros and cons of having a full diagnostic assessment. Afterwards, you will have clear recommendations for the next steps.
If you decide to go ahead with an autism or ADHD assessment, you can book these directly here. An assessment with me will include a full clinical report including a psychological understanding (formulation) and diagnosis (if applicable), a shorter report detailing the outcome of the assessment, and a free follow-up session to explore the results of the assessment, which you can bring someone else along to. If you are discovered to be autistic or an ADHDer, I will provide you will a free e-book about navigating life after your discovery.
After your assessment, if you’d like some more space to explore what being neurodivergent means for you from a psychological perspective, with a psychological understanding and a deep dive into how your brain works, you can book up to six focused exploratory sessions with me here.
If you identify as neurodivergent and you are struggling with your mental health, then I’d love to work with you. You don’t need a formal ADHD or autism diagnosis to work with me, but we will discuss a psychological understanding of your experiences. You can book a 15-minute discovery call with me here to explore whether we would be a good fit.
