Autism Differential Assessments

My testing process is collaborative. You are the expert on your own lived experience. The goal is for me to learn from you about how you relate to the world around you. 

First, we will engage in a free 20-30 minute consultation to review the assessment process, identify your goals, build your testing battery, and answer any questions you have about the assessment process. This can be done through your preferred means of communication. We can talk over the phone, meet over Zoom, or engage in written dialogue through the chat feature of my client portal.

After the consultation, I will send you intake paperwork and questionnaires to fill out. These need to be completed before our first meeting, which can be conducted in person (Wilmington, NC) or over Zoom. This meeting is 2.5 -3 hours long and consists of a conversation where I will learn more about how you relate to the world, focusing specifically on sensory processing, areas of interest, language and communication preferences, social relationships, and emotional processing.

The second meeting is 2.5 to 3 hours long and will be customized to meet your needs. You will likely engage in a mix of interviews and hands-on measures aimed at exploring differential diagnoses in detail. These often include ADHD, OCD, PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders.

The third meeting is one and a half hours. During this meeting, we will have a conversation about the assessment findings and suggested recommendations. I offer a visual representation of the findings to aid in this discussion, which you will receive a copy of after the meeting.

This assessment may be the right fit for you if you are interested in a comprehensive assessment to better understand your diagnostic picture. In addition to an in-depth exploration of Autism, we will look into how Autism can overlap with ADHD (AuDHD), OCD, trauma, chronic health issues, anxiety, and depression/burnout. When Autism intersects with other neurotypes and experiences, it can present differently and may be overlooked. If you have felt misunderstood your entire life, it is never too late to find clarity and understanding through an affirming, client-focused, and data-driven assessment.

This assessment may be the right fit for you if you have received diagnoses in the past that do not feel like they capture your entire experience or that you or your providers are questioning. A comprehensive assessment will help make sense of your past and present experiences and provide a roadmap for your future.

This assessment may be the right fit for you if you need a comprehensive evaluation and formal report to document your need for accommodations. Please be sure to ask your employer or school what type of assessment measures are required so I can be sure that I can meet your needs.

This assessment may be the right fit for you if you are someone who wants as much information about yourself as possible, including an in-depth write-up conceptualizing your diagnostic picture.

This assessment may not be the right fit for you if you are only wondering about Autism and are mainly seeking this for self-understanding. In that case, you might consider the condensed Adult Autism-Focused Assessment.

This assessment may not be the right fit for you if your primary question is about learning disabilities. We will not explore learning style and academics during this evaluation.

You will receive the slides that were reviewed during the second meeting. These slides will include the findings, the data that supports the findings, and recommendations. I will hyperlink various resources and supports that I think might be helpful for your individual needs.

You will also receive a formal report that provides a conceptualization of the results, diagnoses, recommendations, relevant background information, explanation of the data, and appendix with data tables.

If you are seeking accommodations for work or school, please contact them ahead of time to determine what type of testing/documentation is necessary.

My practice is out-of-network, so I do not accept insurance. You will pay for the assessment out of pocket and can submit a superbill to your insurance company for potential reimbursement after the assessment is over.

The total fee for the assessment is $2,860. An Autism Differential Assessment is more expensive than an Autism-Focused Assessment because it includes significantly more time, expertise, and resources to evaluate multiple areas of functioning and rule in or out a broader range of diagnoses.

The fee is due one week before your assessment date and you can pay it directly through the client portal using a credit card, HSA card, or FSA card at any time once we schedule. You can pay in one or multiple installments.

You can call your insurance company to ask if they would provide reimbursement for an out-of-network autism evaluation. I can provide a sample superbill for you to refer to when calling your insurance company.

There is a company called Reimbursify that will file the claim for you for a small fee.

Limited sliding scale options are offered. Please contact Caroline to ask about availability.

Fill out this form and I will email you with more information about next steps.