Adult Autism Reads

I thought it might be helpful to compile some of my favorite adult autism books. These are targeted at an older population of neurodivergent minds - it can be difficult to wade through the materials that are meant for younger kids (or for their parents). Here’s some of my favorite picks - in no particular order.

Adult Autism Reads

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price, PhD

Unmasking for Life: The Autistic Person’s Guide to Connecting, Loving, and Living Authentically by Devon Price, PhD

Un-Typical: How the World Isn’t Built for Autistic People and What We Should All Do About it by Pete Wharmby

The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery by Sol Smith

Both of the books by Dr. Devon Price are phenomenal - Dr. Price has a gift for sharing information about autism in a way that blends scientific data and unique, lived experiences. While these reading recommendations are left in no particular order… Unmasking Autism is my #1 favorite recommendation.

Pete Wharmby and Sol Smith are two authors who have also done an excellent job combining science with experience. I think there’s something to be said about reading books about autism by autistic authors - there is something about that lived experience that makes these books extra special.

So what do we think - did I miss any good ones?

Comment with any that you think I should add to the list!

Demystifying The Assessment Process

What does the assessment process look like at Mindful Directions?

Assessment can be a game-changer in developing your self-understanding and self-advocacy skills. At Mindful Directions, our goal is to create strengths-based and informative reports that help you better understand how your unique brain works.

Insights from assessment reports can aid you in:

• Understanding your strengths and vulnerabilities

• Providing support for requesting accommodations through your school or job

• Guiding your choice of therapeutic modality to best support your needs

Neuroaffirming ADHD & Autism Assessments

We specialize in strengths-based ADHD & Autism Assessments for teens and adults. We especially love working with high-masking clients whose symptoms may have previously gone unnoticed, including girls, women (and AFAB), BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ clients.

We use a variety of evidence-based assessment methods to develop a comprehensive and holistic picture of your functioning across multiple domains, using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods to build a deep understanding of your needs.

We use a personalized approach to assessment. That means that your assessment process is tailored to your needs. We may use methods that include:

• Executive functioning measures like the D-REF or Brown EF/A

• Social-emotional measures like the BASC-3 and SRS-2

• Sensory measures like the SP-2

• Learning and memory measures like the CVLT-2

• Interview protocols like the MIGDAS-2 and DIVA-5

• Collateral reports from family, teachers, etc.

• And more!

*Assessment does not ensure a diagnosis, and a diagnosis does not guarantee specific accommodations or disability support. If you want to seek accommodations, check with the organization about their requirements - this information can be invaluable to the assessment process.

Non-Diagnostic Assessments

Not interested in a formal diagnosis? We are always happy to do assessments that are solely centered around helping you better understand the way that your brain works - without a diagnostic focus.

We understand that it may be scary for some to look for answers about their possible neurodivergence. We are here to help by providing assessments that help you understand your functioning across a variety of different contexts (social, emotional, behavioral, sensory, etc.) without a focus on figuring out a specific diagnosis.

The Assessment Timeline

The assessment process typically begins with a 15-minute consultation call to ensure that Mindful Directions is the right fit for you. Following the consultation, the assessment process (whether in-person or virtual) includes:

• Onboarding

  • Deposit collected

  • Intake forms completed

  • Upload of previous testing records and/or other helpful documents

  • Intake Scheduled (if for child, parent only) to review presenting concerns and answer questions

• Intake Session

  • The intake consists of one 50-minute session that allows us to get some qualitative information about your assessment needs and your history.

• Assessment Day

  • Generally, all testing after the intake is done in one session.

  • Depending on the evaluation type, this may take 3-4 hours.

  • Dress comfortably and bring snacks and hydration!

• Post-Evaluation Process

  • Digital rating scales sent to parents/partners/educators/pertinent collateral sources with a Release of Information signed

  • Any needed follow-up information or data collection is scheduled

  • Assessor spends 5-8 hours scoring and synthesizing data

• Feedback Session

  • Between 2-4 weeks after testing, you will meet with the assessor virtually to review the initial findings of the assessment. This appointment is generally one 50-minute session.

  • Priority action plan and recommendations are reviewed.

• Final Report

  • Information from feedback is often an important part of the final report finalization process.

  • Final collection attempts are made for any outstanding rating scales from collateral sources.

  • You will receive the final report within 1 month of the feedback meeting. Clinicians and staff are working on several reports at any given time, and as such, it is not usually possible to expedite reports. For equity in care, reports are provided in the order they are scheduled.

• Post-Report

  • After receiving the report, you can reach out with any other questions you may have or to schedule a follow-up feedback session to further process the findings and recommendations.

How much does the assessment process cost?

We are currently private-pay only for assessments. We charge a flat rate of $1200 per assessment, which includes everything from your first intake session to one follow-up feedback session after receiving the final report.

Questions?

Reach out for a complimentary 15-minute consultation to learn more.