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Method offers Neurodiversity-Affirming Adult Autism Assessments (and optional ADHD evaluation) adults/young adults who are verbal and curious about their own masking/neurodivergence in this area and desire a full clinical assessment. While we provide assessment for any adult or young adult, we have a special interest in serving women (or those socialized as female), gifted/NEUROCOMPLEX, trans and BIPOC individuals as these individuals may have traits of autism that have been overlooked or misunderstood by the mainstream culture (including mental health). We've had a waitlist for the past year, but we just added an astute, neurodiversity-affirming assessor to the Method Creative Autism Assessment team and we are catching up as well as now accepting NEW assessment clients for residents of Minnesota, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, or Washington (or those willing to travel to one of those states for the assessment)! Assessment at Method will soon be available to anyone in a Counseling Compact State. |
Why now?
Autism presentation and experience can very greatly from person to person, making it difficult at times to trust your own thoughts regarding self-diagnosis. You also may wonder "why now?", as you've survived this long without a diagnosis. Benefits of seeking out an autism diagnosis as an adult can include:
- Self understanding (and compassion). Autism diagnosis later in life can help you connect the dots of your inner matrix regarding past attempts at therapy, socializing, feeling like a human that never quite clicked for you. Heck, you might even seek support from other autistic communities and thrive (unmasked!).
- Adequate professional support. Therapy interventions and workplaces that are created for allistic individuals may not be helpful for autistic people. An autism diagnosis and recommendations can help you to find accurate support and to advocate for accommodations that best meet your needs.
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What can I expect?
Autism Assessment Battery at Method includes:
- Quantitative assessment and screening tools: MIGDAS-2 and more
- Interview (virtual or in office)
- Collateral information from partner, family or friend
- One-hour follow up meeting to discuss findings
- Comprehensive diagnostic write up
Step 1: Schedule appointment for 3-hour Interview by completing form on this page. We will send you dates times and, once we agree upon a date/time, an appointment confirmation email will be sent.
Step 2: Prior to your interview meeting, an email will be sent to you with a link to a private client portal in which you will complete initial paperwork and inventories prior to your interview session.
Step 3: Complete 3-Hour Autism Assessment Interview session*
Step 4: (Optional) We will send along inventories for a close friend, family member or partner to complete about you to send back to us.
Step 5: Attend 1-Hour Follow Up to discuss findings of assessment, ask questions and review recommendations.
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What's the cost?*
Comprehensive Autism Assessment Rate (w. Full Written Report): $1,875
- For those interested in receiving a full diagnostic report (~20 pages) that provides written diagnostic discussion for your personal records. Also includes one hour virtual meeting to review findings of this diagnostic assessment with assessor.
- For those curious about whether or not they meet criteria by a licensed professional yet are not in need of a full written report. Includes one hour virtual consultation meeting to review findings of assessment with assessor.
*All services at Method are private pay only and we do not work directly with insurance. Payment plans are available for those in need.
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ADHD Assessment
The data gathered for this assessment is collected via pre-assessment inventories, a 2-hour interview with one of our assessors, and optional collateral information gathering with someone close to you. About 2-4 weeks following the interview, a 30-45 minute follow up session will be scheduled with the assessor to discuss the findings. Our assessors are able to offer ADHD Assessment as a supplemental addition to an Autism assessment, or as a standalone service.
Rates for ADHD Assessment at Method are:
- Add-on to Autism Assessment: adds $725 US
- Standalone service: $875 US
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Giftedness Profiling
Gifted Profiling at Method offers a unique opportunity to explore your neurocomplexity through the lens of giftedness and provides output on the following:
- your dominant areas of intelligence
- your areas of intensity and drive (overexcitabilities)
- your dominant thinking style
- curated recommendations and resources for further exploration into this area of neurodivergence
Based on the model of profiling by Intergifted, Gifted Profiling assessors at Method have completed multiple gifted-specific trainings and gifted profiling assessments over the years. Our assessors are able to offer gifted profiling as a supplemental addition to an Autism and/or ADHD assessment, or as a standalone service.
Rates for Gifted Profiling at Method are:
- Add-on to Autism and/or ADHD Assessment: adds $725 US
- Standalone service: $875 US
Not interested in a diagnosis?
Neurodivergence Consultation Sessions
In addition to our Autism and ADHD assessments and Giftedness Profiling, Method plans to begin offering Neurodivergence Consultation in the coming months. These exploratory consultation sessions are for those who are curious about their wiring in areas of neurodivergence (highly masked Autism, ADHD, CPTSD, etc.) and would like to approach this process from a non-pathologizing, resource-focused framework. The outcome would provide impressions on one's particular flavor of neurocomplexity as well as helpful resources and recommendations for future integration steps for aligned living.
If you are interested in learning more about the Neurodivergence Consultation process, rates, and future scheduling, simply complete the form below and we will be in touch before we publicly launch this service.
Our Assessors.
50 Less Commonly Known Traits of Autism in Highly Masked Adults: With Corresponding DSM-5-TR Criteria.
Finally, it’s here! I’ve compiled a 7-page resource that includes the following particulars:
- A comprehensive list of 50 (valid, yet less commonly talked about) traits of Autism presentation in highly masked adults
- How each of these traits correspond directly with the most current diagnostic criteria (DSM-5-TR) used to professionally assess for Autism
Download this resource:
- To prepare for an upcoming Autism assessment
- For self-exploration around Autism
- As a clinician, to increase competence in this presentation in high masking Autistic clients
- To better understand an Autistic family member, friend or employee
- Share with your therapist, coach, partner or medical provider
Download 7-Page Resource Here:
Virtual Talk: Autism in Highly-Masked Adults (Recorded mp4 Download)
Recorded 90-minute talk (mp4) by Lindsey Mackereth, MA, LPCC, LADC, founder/therapist/coach at Method Creative and the Superwell Collective.
A virtual opportunity to learn about the unique experience of autistic adults using a neurodiversity-affirming approach at your own pace.
For individuals hoping to learn about themselves or someone they care about as well as professionals (therapists, coaches, healthcare providers, wellness providers, executive leadership) who would like to better understand autism from a neurodiversity-affirming framework.
Topics covered:
- Defining Autism from a neuro-affirming framework
- Preferred language
- Camouflaging/masking in Autism
- Presentation nuances within phenotypes of the Autism diagnosis
- Differentiating Autism from other areas of neurodivergence
- Screening tools for Autism, self-identification
- Resources learning more about Autism
Link + access to digital talk will be sent to you via email within 24 hours of purchase.
Talk recorded on 4.10.2024.
Sensory Preferences Deep Dive: Fillable Inventory
8-Page PDF Download
Excellent tool to use to identify workplace accommodation requests! Also, great to use with your partner or roommate to understand each others’ sensory preferences and needs.
This list invites you to rate and explore your preferences in sensory areas that include:
- Visual environment
- Lighting
- Sounds
- Scents
- Temperature/Air Flow
- Body posture
- Touch/Proprioception
- Clothing
- + More!
Remarkable Overlap in ADHD, Autism, Giftedness & Burnout: 8 Page Resource
A resource (8-page PDF) to share with your therapist, coach, partner or medical provider to provide context around your complexity
Have you ever wondered why it seems like there is so much overlap in descriptions of Autism, ADHD, Giftedness and even burnout? Let’s dig in.
In order to show you a slice of what my brain “sees” when assessing an individual with all of these areas of complexity in mind, I have created an AUTISM, ADHD, GIFTEDNESS, BURNOUT Characteristic Overlap table of items—all known characteristics of ADHD— and:
- Identified which other areas of neurocomplexity (Autism, Giftedness) and/or burnout this item could potentially overlap and
- My reasoning as to why/how this item could be characteristic of Autism, Giftedness and/or burnout.
In other words, any time an individual endorses one of these items in an ADHD assessment, here are all of the expanded differential possibilities I am synthesizing to determine a potential diagnosis/identification/further recommendation.
This resource is a sneak peek of the table I created for you to share with your therapist, coach, partner, family, friends, or medical provider to provide context around your complexity!
3-Page PDF: Navigating Autistic/ADHD/Gifted Social Satisfaction: Masking vs. Social Skills
OK, you have begun to have some awareness around masking and how you may move forward with reducing the consequences of this energy suck. Now, it’s time to figure out how to get those neglected social needs of yours (yes, you have them and they are important to your lived experience) authentically met once and formal!
I like to think of this step as an adventure in exploring your unique set of social preferences and skills to help you to feel successful in all of the things that you have learned to expect from social skills: conveying messages clearly, exchanging information, being understood by others, building and maintaining relationships, getting your needs and desires met in relationships, and confronting and resolving conflicts.
How do we do this as neurocomplex beings with all of the templates for communication and social skills are not quite created for our wiring?
Self leadership:
- Stop trying to learn about our social and communication needs and preferences solely from traditional social and communication templates.
- Actually learn about your unique social needs and preferences as they apply to your unique contexts—here is a tool I have created just for this exploration!
Neurocomplex Lifespan Model: Gifted Kid to Autistic and/or ADHDer Adult (in Burnout)
A resource (PDF) to share with your therapist, coach, partner or medical provider to provide context around your complexity
Neurocomplexity Lifespan Model
I’ve created this very special download that depicts a holistic unfolding model of the lifespan of Neurocomplex individuals, based on anecdotal and research that I’ve gathered throughout my career, including the following areas of subjective experience:
- School/academic functioning
- Workplace functioning
- Social/interpersonal life
- Mental health
- Physical health
- Gender
- Sexuality
- Existential issues
This lifespan model explains common phenomena in Neurocomplex beings in early and middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and beyond.
Burnout, Diagnosis and Post-Burnout
This download also illustrates common contributors to burnout in the Neurocomplex that can often lead to shifts in functioning and/or diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD.
Finally, this model offers methods of recovering from Neurocomplex burnout by honoring these individuals’ inherent drive to embody meaningful and purposeful living while navigating the ongoing unique balance of the needs of a complex body-mind (rest, movement/stillness, input/output, connection/alone time, stillness) to support all aspects of functioning, in addition to the sustainability of a meaningful existence.
3-Page Tool: Social Strategy in Neurocomplexity
3-Page PDF Download
So, you realize you are (or suspect you may be) neurocomplex—Autistic, ADHDer, and/or gifted—and are coming to grips with the fact that your social life needs some love.
- It’s too draining yet not deep enough
- You’re lonely yet over stimulated in your social situations
- You like people but can’t figure out how to have the friends you need
- All of the templates for communication and social skills are not quite created for our wiring
What do you do? Self leadership! Ok, but HOW?
- Stop trying to learn about our social and communication needs and preferences solely from traditional social and communication templates.
- Actually learn about your unique social needs and preferences as they ARE, not as you’ve been taught they should be!
This tool (!) is a great starting point to explore your social preferences as they pertain to the various social networks in your life! Download this 3-page resource here to begin this new path towards a more aligned social life!
Giftedness, Autism, ADHD, Complex PTSD & Burnout: Significant Trait Overlap: 8 Page Resource
A resource (8-page PDF) to share with your therapist, coach, partner or medical provider to provide context around your complexity
What is “Giftedness” and what are the characteristics in adults? How do these characteristics overlap with Autism, ADHD, Complex PTSD and Burnout?!
As a licensed therapist who specializes in the overlap and co-occurrence of complex areas of primary neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, Giftedness) and secondary factors (CPTSD, Burnout) in adults, I have had a front row (OK, behind closed doors) view of how these terms overlap in characteristics and/or co-occur in one individual.
I’ve recognized that ~90% of the adults I assess for Autism, ADHD and/or Giftedness have experienced at least one (usually more) episode of neurodivergent burnout, commonly linked to masking their differences at work, home or in other environments. Additionally, ~70% of the adults I assess show signs of Complex PTSD. That’s a lot of overlap.
This time, I have created a (monster of a) table that expands on published characteristics of GIFTEDNESS in adults and I:
- Identify whether each characteristic of Giftedness overlaps with characteristics of Autism, ADHD, Complex PTSD (CPTSD) and/or Burnout and
- My reasoning as to why/how this item could be a characteristic of Autism, Autism, CPTSD and/or burnout.
In other words, any time an individual endorses one of these items in a session or Gifted profiling assessment, this table depicts many of the expanded differential possibilities I am synthesizing to determine a potential diagnosis/identification/further recommendation.
Enjoy!
Masking + Social Preferences Exploration + Checklist: 6-Page PDF
Have you been finding yourself wondering: I realize I socially mask (my traits of Autism, ADHD, Giftedness, etc.), but NOW WHAT?!
Then, this 6-page resource is for you. This checklist and experiential guide was created to help you to deepen your awareness around masking and take next steps for integrating this new information.
This resource references multiple screening tools, assessment questions, and anecdotal data on common social traits of neurodivergence as well as common signs of masking.
BONUS! Application questions for you to do a deeper dive on your own, with yourself (auto therapy), your therapist, coach, partner, or friend.
Also an excellent tool to bring to your upcoming autism or ADHD assessment!
