Evaluations for Adult Autism & ADHD

• Your card on file will be charged a $400 deposit when the intake appointment is scheduled, and the remainder will be charged one hour before the first appointment.
• The 120-minute MIGDAS-2 appointment can be split into two for clients who prefer to make three 60-minute appointments.
• No refunds for deposits, late cancellations within 24 hours, or no-shows for intake appointments will be given. Rescheduling may require the standard $185 intake appointment fee to restart the evaluation process.
• Arriving late to the appointment may require additional time to be scheduled to complete the intake, which will be billed at the current therapy intake rate.
• Complex evaluations requiring extensive time reviewing records, additional assessments, or time may be subject to being billed at $185/hour beyond the evaluation cost. This will be discussed and agreed upon before the evaluator takes additional steps.
• All reports include the Diagnostic Letter, and the more comprehensive report options are available at an additional cost.

Telehealth evaluations are available for clients who are physically located in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Telehealth may not be the best fit for all clients, but it can be a safe and affirming option for many. Some things to consider:

1. Can you complete electronic paperwork and questionnaires independently with little support?

2. Do you prefer to be in person with your provider or in your own space with your preferred supports and accommodations during appointments?

3. Do you have a larger screen electronic device? While smart phones can be used for some parts of the process, we recommend using a larger screen for all of the steps of the process. The QbCheck (only for the ADHD evaluation piece) requires a desk top or lap top with a camera and cannot be completed on a chromebook or tablet.

The MIGDAS-2 diagnostic interview process invites individuals to share their worldviews. The interview begins with a sharing of preferred interests and an exploration of the adult’s sensory profile. This narrative method of exploring autism decreases the performative social communication demands and allows for a therapeutic approach to considering the strengths and differences of the autistic brain style.

This is in contrast to the medical model’s focus on deficit-based diagnostic criteria, which is inherently based on symptoms, impairments, or how much the autistic individual passes or fails at being neurotypical.

The evaluation result is a comprehensive behavioral profile that describes the individual’s distinct ways of relating to the world. This profile supplements assessment scores and informs diagnosis, practical interventions, support, and treatment planning.

The MIGDAS-2 and ADOS-2 are both valid but different measures for assessing autism in children and adults. The ADOS-2 is an examiner-driven assessment focusing on social communication. In contrast, the MIGDAS-2 is a sensory-based interview that allows the person being evaluated to tell the story of their lived experiences across the three main areas most impacted by autism.

The ADOS-2’s original intent and purpose were clinical research settings, and it is often erroneously referred to as the “gold standard” for autism assessment. Consequently, many school districts and other institutions may still require the ADOS-2 for individuals to receive services, which has further contributed to its widespread use in clinical settings.

The ADOS-2 can be less sensitive to females, those with high IQ, adults from other minority or marginalized populations, and those with low support needs. Additionally, many highly camouflaging adults report responding in ways that fit what they know they “should” say or do, which can lead to being missed or misdiagnosed. Many autistic adults report that the process itself can feel performative and infantilizing. Consequently, we have chosen to amplify the voices of actual autistic adults (many of them mental health clinicians) who continue to assert that the MIGDAS-2 is the more affirming measure.

While you’re not required to consent to me contacting anyone to gather more information, more information from more sources is usually (but not always) helpful. This information might include historical content about your childhood, perspectives from your previous or current mental health professionals, perspective regarding how well you’ve been camouflaging and masking, and in-depth family medical and mental health history.

For young and emerging adult clients, I recommend that you consider having someone attend the appointments with you who can help share historical information about your childhood. However, this is not required.

All clients are welcome to invite a loved one or support person to join their appointment. Please let me know ahead of time who will be joining us.

Both evaluations are sufficient for seeking work, school, and high-stakes testing accommodations. We have confirmed with the major testing companies that our evaluation would be accepted.

Our evaluation is not psychological or neuropsychological testing and is NOT sufficient for those seeking diagnosis for Social Security Disability Insurance OR forensic evaluation purposes.

It is important to note that a diagnosis does not mean an institution will consider a person disabled under the law.

Heather Vann is an LMFT and does not prescribe medication. However, if your evaluation results in a diagnosis of ADHD or other co-occurring diagnoses that you may choose to treat medically, you should share your evaluation results with your medical provider.