Assessment for Autism, ADHD & Related Conditions
Find Answers.
Understand the Whole Picture.
Many adults spend years wondering why certain parts of life seem harder for them than they do for others. You may have wondered about autism or ADHD, received diagnoses like anxiety or depression, or found that previous explanations never quite captured the full picture.
At Higgins Center for Healing, our Comprehensive Neurodiversity Assessment is an in-depth clinical evaluation designed to assess for autism, ADHD, and commonly overlapping conditions, including trauma-related symptoms, OCD, anxiety, and depression. Rather than evaluating one diagnosis in isolation, we look at the full picture—your developmental history, current experiences, patterns of masking, sensory differences, executive functioning, relationships, and more.
The goal isn't simply to give you another label. It's to help you understand what is actually driving your experiences and why. Whether you're seeking answers for the first time or questioning a previous diagnosis, you'll leave the assessment with greater clarity, an individualized understanding of your neurotype and mental health, and recommendations for moving forward.
What Makes Our Assessment Different?
Many evaluations focus on determining whether someone meets criteria for a single diagnosis. Our approach recognizes that neurodevelopmental conditions and trauma frequently overlap, and that their similarities can make diagnosis more complex—especially in adults who have spent years masking their struggles.
We carefully evaluate how different factors may be interacting, including:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (with expertise in high-masking adults)
- ADHD
- PTSD and Complex PTSD
- Anxiety Disorders
- OCD
- Sensory processing differences
- Executive functioning challenges
- Emotional regulation
- Social communication differences
- Masking and camouflaging behaviors
- Burnout and chronic overwhelm
Our goal is to understand not only what diagnoses may fit, but why they fit—and how your unique history has shaped the way symptoms present today.
Who Is This Assessment For?
This assessment may be a good fit if you:
- Have always felt "different" but never understood why.
- Suspect you may be autistic, have ADHD, or both.
- Have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression but feel there is more to the story.
- Wonder whether trauma has complicated the diagnostic picture.
- Have learned to mask your struggles and worry they have been overlooked.
- Are seeking clarity to guide treatment, accommodations, relationships, or personal understanding.
We have particular experience working with high-masking adults, including individuals who have spent years compensating, people who have been historically overlooked, and those whose strengths may have hidden their challenges.
What You Will Receive
Diagnostic Impressions & Differential Diagnosis
A formal identification of your primary clinical conditions, alongside alternative explanations ruled out during testing.
Comprehensive Written Report
A detailed document synthesizing evaluation findings, history, and assessment results into a clear summary of your clinical profile.
Personalized Recommendations
Actionable strategies specifying individual therapy options, workplace or academic supports, and practical interventions designed for your daily life.
Resources
Curated guides, books, support networks, and clinical tools selected to support your specific diagnosis and goals.
Our Whole Person Approach
Your assessment includes much more than standardized questionnaires.
We integrate:
- A comprehensive developmental and life history
- Family history
- Educational and occupational experiences
- Sensory profile
- Executive functioning patterns
- Social communication and relationship history
- Trauma history and its impact on symptom presentation
- Clinical interview
- Standardized assessment measures
By looking at your experiences across childhood and adulthood, we can better distinguish between conditions that often overlap or mimic one another.
Have Questions?
Frequently asked questions
Learn More Below
Important Information
This assessment is completed by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with advanced training in trauma, EMDR, neurodiversity, and differential diagnosis.
While our evaluations are appropriate for clinical treatment planning, personal understanding, and many workplace or educational accommodation requests, they may not meet requirements for certain legal, governmental, disability, or forensic purposes. If you require documentation for a specific agency or legal proceeding, please contact us before scheduling so we can determine whether our assessment is the right fit for your needs.
Begin Your Journey Toward Understanding
Receiving a diagnosis is not about putting yourself in a box—it's about gaining language for experiences that may have never made sense before.
Whether your assessment points toward autism, ADHD, trauma-related conditions, or another explanation entirely, our hope is that you leave with greater clarity, deeper self-understanding, and a roadmap for moving forward with confidence.
Thanks,
Sarah
