Adult Autism Assessment and Support - Tanya Jarrett

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One of Tanya's special interests is the diagnosis and support of Autistic adults or adults who suspect they are Autistic. This includes adults have have previously been diagnosed with Aspergers. Diagnosing an adult with Autism can be difficult, especially women; as by the time an adult is identified as possibly being Autistic, they have developed many coping strategies which may "mask" the features of Autism. Coping strategies can include camouflaging autistic traits, masking and compensation strategies which are "work arounds" to help the person cope or "fit in".

Tanya is experienced in both the diagnosis and ongoing counselling support for Autistic adults. The assessment process for an adult differs slightly  to that of a child. A child's autistic features are often easier to see and assess, whereas some of the gold standard assessment tools used do not account for the various strategies adults use to mask or cope with their autistic traits. Tanya will help you to understand  these strategies or masking features to help determine if Autism could be a possibility.

Autistic and non-Autistic people often see the world through different lenses. As society creates expectations that the majority of people will "fit in" and behave in non-Autistic ways, this  can create  vulnerabilities for autistic people; such as increased mental health concerns, social exhaustion and overwhelming sensory experiences. Ongoing support could include counselling for these things but will be tailored to the unique strengths and differences of each individual.  

Below are the steps for an autism assessment for an adult. The assessment process can take between 3-5 single appointments. Depending on why you would like to be assessed, you have a choice of a comprehensive report at the end of the process or just a letter confirming the outcome of the assessment.

1. Initial intake session to get an understanding of who you are, discuss why you feel you may be autistic (or others may believe this) and to discuss the next steps. Either during or before your first appointment, you will be sent a number of screening questionnaires. Importantly, a screening of your mental health, social and developmental history will be taken to rule in or rule out other possibilities. 
2. Homework will be given. In addition to the screening questionnaires, you may be asked to type up some narrative about your childhood and teenage years. 
3. Clinical interview. This may take 2-3 single appointments depending on how much information has already been collected. Ideally, if a parent or partner could attend an appointment, or contribute information in some way, this would add valuable information for the assessment process. If this is not possible, that is ok.
4. Confirmation of diagnosis. If you meet the DSM 5 TR criteria for Autism, you can request either a letter stating the diagnosis or a comprehensive report. Many adults do not want a comprehensive report as the assessment process is for their own information only. A full report is useful if another organisation requires it for funding purposes or you would like this for your own records. Additional costs are associated with a comprehensive report.

Above are the steps for an Autism assessment for adults. There may be times where Tanya feels it would be beneficial to include additional assessments. These include:

• Adaptive Skills Assessment: This may be required if you are considering applying for either/and the Disability Support Pension and NDIS. The assessment tool used will be the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS) - an interview style assessment. Please check the requirements of any services you are registering for to decide if this assessment is required.
• Please note that I am able to screen for ADHD but I recommend referral to a psychiatrist through your GP for follow up.

The fee for an autism and/or Adaptive Skills Assessment is $250 per 50 minute session. The fee is payable per appointment and not a lump sum.

There is no charge for a letter confirming your identity (diagnosis).

The fee for a comprehensive Autism assessment report is $550 (inclusive of GST). This includes information that was gathered during the assessment process about how you meet DSM 5 TR criteria. 

If further information is needed for the report (such as adaptive functioning information for NDIS purposes), the report cost is $700 (inclusive of GST).

A 50% deposit is required for the report with the remainder payable at report completion. The report will be finalised within 4-6 weeks upon receipt of the deposit.

No rebates are available for the above assessments. For adults, Medicare and private health rebates only apply to counselling in relation to mental health concerns. Autism is not considered a mental health condition and therefore, rebates cannot be claimed for the diagnosis of adults.

For counselling support (under Medicare or a privately funded client), the fee is $215 per 50 minute session. See the Counselling and Psychology section for more information about rebates available. The NDIS counselling fee is $214.41 per 50 minute session.