fully remote Adult Autism and/or ADHD Assessments

Thanks to (better late than never) growing research on the ways that neurodivergence presents in girls/women and “high masking” individuals (i.e., those who have learned to compensate for these traits), many adults are now coming to recognize that they may, in fact, have undiagnosed Autism or ADHD. Furthermore, significant life stressors or changes (hello, parenthood, menopause, chronic illness, etc!) can cause previously manageable symptoms to become more severe and distressing.

A professional assessment and diagnosis of ADHD and/or Autism in adulthood can offer several benefits for those who suspect that they may be Neurodivergent including, but not limited to:

• deepening your understanding of yourself and how you are wired
• providing you the information that can help you to work with your brain, rather than against it
• identifying tools and accommodations that can help you succeed and reduce obstacles in your personal, professional, and academic life.

We aim to be neuro-affirming, straightforward and transparent about the online assessment process at Alexandria Therapy. You will receive a more in-depth explanation of each step of the process once you contact us, but a general overview is below:

1.   Contact us to receive more information. We send you an information email.

2.   You select which Assessment Option you would like to proceed with (you can change your mind at any time) and pay the deposit.

3.   You fill out a written questionnaire and online assessments (on your own time and at your own pace).

• You will be filling the tests out online (via secure online portals), and it’s recommended that you complete the tests within 6 weeks or less, to avoid outdated data and to keep the process moving. 
• You will also be sent an extensive list of written questions to fill out. These questions are to gather background information and to give you time and space to give more information about yourself in writing. We understand that some people prefer writing to speaking, and vice versa. Most of these questions require perhaps 1 to 5 sentences each.
• We schedule and then complete your interview(s) via secure online videochat

4.   After your tests are completed, we will schedule your online semi-structured clinical interview. During the interview, there are no expectations for your behavior.  As best as you’re able to, feel free to be yourself. There is no need to mask, maintain eye contact, engage in small talk, suppress any stims, etc. Conversely, we also understand that for many, masking has become so automatic that they are worried that their underlying traits won’t be visible enough to the clinician – we will take that into account, as well! Try not to worry and just do what comes naturally.

• We spend approximately 1 to 2 sessions (60 minutes each) doing a clinical interview (on video call) based on the DSM5-TR, ADOS-2, and ADI-R, during which:
•  We’ll ask any follow-ups on relevant history and family background
•  You can take some time to share about what lead you to believe that you                                     have ADHD and/or Autism, and what is most important to you about your experiences related to neurodivergence and the outcome of this process
• We’ll ask many in-depth questions about your experiences related to the DSM 5-TR diagnostic criteria of ADHD, Autism, and/or any other relevant diagnoses. Of course, you don’t have to answer any questions you’re not comfortable with.
• At the end, we consider possible alternate explanations for your experiences (i.e., a differential diagnosis)

5. We write your Assessment Report

• We review and integrate all collected information and data, and prepare your assessment report, including any relevant diagnoses and accommodation letters if appropriate.

6. We schedule and then complete a follow-up video call(s) to discuss your report. We send you your final report and any appropriate additional documentation.

• We have 1 to 2 Follow-Up Video Calls (60 minutes each, as needed) to review the results of your assessment, your report, discuss findings and recommendations, answer questions, and process your initial reactions to the results.

This service is for adults who are physically located in one of the following states at the time of the assessment: AL, AZ, AR, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

These Assessment packages are tailored to identify suspected Autism and ADHD in adults, but sometimes other diagnoses or underlying conditions may also be playing a role in your symptoms. If we suspect additional differential diagnoses need to be explored, we will discuss further assessment options with you, as appropriate. 

You can select from the following Assessment option, depending on the diagnosis that you are suspecting you have:

1. Autism Assessment with Comprehensive Report and Recommendations

2. ADHD Assessment with Comprehensive Report and Recommendations

3. AuDHD Assessment (e.g., Autism and ADHD) with Comprehensive Report and Recommendations

Note: Our ADHD Assessments do not include cognitive or psycho-educational testing, nor do they involve the use of any software for continuous performance tests such as the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), MOXO CPT, QbTest, or the Conners’ CPT 3rd Edition. If you need an Assessment that includes those forms of tests, you will need to find another clinician that provides them (they need to be completed in-person and therefore are not compatible with a remote assessment process).

Each individual assessment varies in complexity and the time it will take to complete.  We provide an estimate of your total cost prior to signing the Assessment Agreement, which is based on minimum testing times. Depending on the complexity of the individual assessment, additional hours may be needed for further testing, or interview or feedback sessions. If this is the case, your evaluator will discuss this with you, as well as the estimated additional costs, before proceeding. Once the evaluation is complete and you receive your report, you will be responsible to pay the total amount due (minus the $500 deposit that is paid upon signing of the Assessment Agreement). 

Insurance:  If you are covered under one of the insurance policies that we accept (BCBS, Anthem, CareFirst, and Cigna), we will be happy to submit claims to your insurance company, and (depending on your individual plan) they may pay for some or all of the assessment costs. 

You should always plan for the possibility that your insurance plan does not cover the assessment, and you will be responsible for the total cost yourself. [Note: If you would like to get a better idea of what your individual insurance plan will cover, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask them the following questions: (1) What does my individual insurance plan cover for the CPT codes (which can be provided to you upon request); (2) is there a maximum allowable total number of units that one can bill for each code per year? If so, what are the maximums?”; “Have I met my deductible yet this year? If not, how much do I still have to pay out of pocket before it is met?” If you give them the numbers in the chart that we will provide, they should be able to help you calculate how much you will end up paying out-of-pocket and what they will cover). However, we will also provide you an estimate of your out-of-pocket costs based on what insurance typically covers.