Neuroaffirming Adult Autism & ADHD Evaluations
Find Clarity, Access Support, and Reclaim Your Story
You’ve Always Known Something Was Different. Let’s Find the Words for It.
For generations, autism and ADHD were only recognized in narrow, stereotyped ways — which means a lot of people grew up overlooked, misdiagnosed, or told they were fine when they weren’t. If that’s your story, you’re not alone. And it’s not too late.
At Side Quest Psychotherapy, evaluations aren’t about proving yourself to a checklist. They’re a structured, affirming process designed to take what you already know about yourself seriously — and give you language, clarity, and documentation you can actually use.
YOUR OPTIONS
Two Autism & ADHD Evaluation Options in Maryland, Virginia & Florida
We offer two pathways for adult autism and ADHD evaluations, both conducted by Jenna Stone, LCSW-C. Evaluations may be completed in person in College Park, Maryland or via telehealth for clients located in Maryland, Virginia, or Florida. Both pathways can support diagnostic clarification, medication access, self-advocacy, and workplace or school accommodation requests.
The primary difference lies in the depth of the assessment and the level of documentation produced. One option includes a comprehensive evaluation with a full assessment battery and detailed written report. The other focuses on a structured diagnostic interview with a brief diagnostic summary. The right option often depends on the level of documentation you need, the complexity of your history, and your budget.
DEEP DIVE
Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment
The full picture — including a complete sensory workup. Best for people in eating disorder recovery, navigating OCD, or anyone who wants a detailed, multi-domain understanding of how their autistic or ADHD neurology shapes their daily life. Produces a comprehensive written report (20–30 pages).
Autism or ADHD: $2,000 · Combined: $2,500
Includes optional 30-minute feedback session
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FIRST LOOK
Focused Diagnostic Interview
A streamlined evaluation using the same gold-standard interview tools as the Comprehensive Assessment, paired with a targeted measure set. Produces a brief diagnostic summary. Available as separate Autism and ADHD tracks.
$300/hour · 2-3 hours per track
Includes optional 30-minute feedback session
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Want to Explore More?
Both services focus exclusively on the identification of autism and/or ADHD. If you’d like to explore additional areas — ARFID, OCD, anxiety disorders, or other presentations — we offer extended diagnostic exploration at $300/hour, bookable as an add-on to either service. Ask about this during your free consultation.
Letters & Supporting Documentation
Additional letters related to your evaluation — such as accommodation letters or letters supporting medication access — are available for $200 per letter. Documentation letters are available within three months of your evaluation date. Requests received after that window may require a new evaluation or updated clinical contact.
Not sure which fits? Book a free consultation — no pressure, no commitment, just a conversation.
OUR APPROACH
What Is a Neuroaffirming Evaluation?
A neuroaffirming evaluation is an autism or ADHD assessment that integrates developmental history, structured diagnostic interviews, validated rating scales, and clinical observation to determine whether DSM-5 diagnostic criteria are met. The evaluation focuses not only on symptom presence but also on patterns of functioning across real-world contexts, including executive functioning, sensory processing, attention regulation, and social communication. Attention is also given to masking, camouflaging, compensatory strategies, and burnout, which can significantly influence how neurodivergence presents and may contribute to delayed or missed diagnoses.
At Side Quest Psychotherapy, neuroaffirming evaluations are different from standard assessments in three concrete ways:
We believe you.
You don’t have to perform your symptoms or convince us you’re struggling. Your self-knowledge is data. Our job is to add clinical structure to what you already know — not to gatekeep it.
We use tools designed for people who mask.
Standard diagnostic tools were built on research that excluded women, nonbinary people, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people of color. We use measures specifically designed to account for camouflaging, burnout, and late identification.
We don’t gatekeep.
A diagnosis is a tool, not a verdict. Whether you’re seeking clarity for yourself or documentation for accommodations, we’re here to help you get what you actually need.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Who We Evaluate
Neuroaffirming autism and ADHD evaluations at Side Quest Psychotherapy are designed for people who have often been missed or dismissed by conventional assessment processes.
Late-identified adults
Who’ve spent decades wondering why the world felt so much harder to navigate than it seemed to for everyone else.
People who mask or camouflage well
Who’ve been told they “don’t seem autistic” despite a lifetime of evidence to the contrary.
Complex or overlapping presentations
Autism + ADHD, eating disorders, OCD, trauma, and other intersections we know well.
Those seeking a second-opinion
Who want a neuroaffirming lens on a prior evaluation that didn’t account for masking or burnout.
LGBTQIA+ adults
Whose gender identity, sexuality, or presentation complicated or delayed their path to diagnosis.
Youth & adolescents
We offer dedicated evaluations for children and adolescents.
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WHO PROVIDES EVALUATIONS
Meet Your Neuroaffirming Assessor
Jenna Stone, LCSW-C (she/they)
Autism and ADHD evaluations at Side Quest Psychotherapy are conducted by Jenna Stone, LCSW-C, founder of Side Quest Psychotherapy in College Park, Maryland. Jenna specializes in late-identified autism and ADHD in adults, with particular expertise in presentations that have been missed, dismissed, or complicated by masking, trauma, eating disorders, OCD, or LGBTQIA+ identity. Evaluations are conducted via telehealth for clients across Maryland, Virginia, and Florida.
THE PROCESS
What the Evaluation Process Looks Like
Whether you choose the Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment or the Focused Diagnostic Interview, the process is designed to be low-pressure, paced for your brain, and clear at every step.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions About Autism & ADHD Evaluations
Can a Licensed Clinical Social Worker diagnose autism and ADHD?
Yes. In Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, fully licensed clinical social workers are legally authorized to diagnose mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions — including autism and ADHD in both adults and children — when they have appropriate post-graduate training and clinical competence in assessment.
At Side Quest Psychotherapy, evaluations are conducted by Jenna Stone, LCSW-C, who has advanced clinical training and supervised experience in autism and ADHD assessment. Their clinical focus includes Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profiles, as well as late-identified, masked, and multiply neurodivergent adults. They also engage in ongoing consultation with psychologists and other assessment specialists to maintain high standards of diagnostic accuracy.
How are these assessments different from a neuropsychological evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation, typically conducted by a psychologist, often emphasizes standardized cognitive testing. This can include IQ testing, full neuropsychological batteries, academic achievement testing, and computerized attention tasks designed to measure cognitive performance under structured conditions. These assessments can be especially helpful when evaluating concerns such as learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, brain injury, or complex neurological questions.
Autism and ADHD evaluations at Side Quest Psychotherapy use a different approach. Rather than focusing primarily on performance-based testing, these assessments examine how attention, executive functioning, sensory processing, and demand-related stress show up in everyday life. The evaluation process emphasizes developmental history, masking and camouflaging, autistic burnout, nervous system patterns, and environmental context, using structured diagnostic interviews, validated rating scales, and optional collateral input. This approach is often particularly helpful for adults who mask well or have complex neurodivergent presentations, where traditional testing may not fully capture their lived experience.
Side Quest Psychotherapy also takes a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to assessment. If an evaluation suggests concerns that are better addressed through formal neuropsychological testing, such as possible specific learning disorders, complex cognitive profiles, or situations requiring extensive standardized testing, a referral to a neuropsychologist may be recommended. Likewise, if symptoms raise the possibility of a medical or inflammatory condition affecting behavior or cognition, consultation with an appropriate medical provider may be suggested. In some cases this may include conditions such as PANS/PANDAS or other autoimmune-related neuropsychiatric presentations, which require medical evaluation. The goal is to ensure each person receives the type of assessment and care that best fits the clinical questions being explored.
What is a neuroaffirming evaluation?
A neuroaffirming autism and ADHD evaluation is an assessment that centers a person’s lived experience of neurodivergence rather than measuring them solely against neurotypical developmental norms. The goal is to understand how an individual’s brain processes attention, sensory input, social communication, executive functioning, and demand, rather than framing these differences only as deficits.
Neuroaffirming autism and ADHD assessments intentionally account for masking, camouflaging, burnout, and late identification. This is particularly important for adults who were missed, misdiagnosed, or dismissed in childhood evaluations, including those who learned to compensate for neurodivergent traits over time.
At Side Quest Psychotherapy, neuroaffirming autism and ADHD evaluations are conducted by Jenna Stone, LCSW-C, an AuDHD clinician with specialized training in neurodevelopmental assessment. Evaluations are available in person in College Park, Maryland and via telehealth for clients across eligible states.
The evaluation process integrates DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria, developmental history, and structured assessment tools while also examining sensory processing, executive functioning, nervous system patterns, masking strategies, and environmental fit. This approach helps identify forms of neurodivergence that are often missed in traditional assessments, particularly among highly masked adults, multiply neurodivergent individuals (e.g., AuDHD), and people with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) profiles.
How do you make sure the evaluation is accurate and not just confirming what I already think?
Every evaluation uses a multi-method approach: developmental and clinical interviews, validated self-report questionnaires, sensory and interoceptive profiling, behavioral observations, and optional collateral input from someone who knows you well. Consistent patterns across time and settings carry more weight than any single data point. While many people come in with a strong sense of their neurotype, evaluations sometimes reveal a different or more complex picture. Trauma, OCD, anxiety, mood disorders, post-viral conditions, and other medical issues can mimic or overlap with autistic and ADHD presentations. The goal is a clinically sound and personally meaningful understanding of your neurotype — whether or not it matches your initial assumptions.
What is the difference between the Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment and the Focused Diagnostic Interview?
The Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment uses an extensive standardized battery including a full sensory workup, and produces a full clinical report (20–30 pages) suitable for most accommodation documentation. It is priced at $2,000 for Autism or ADHD, or $2,500 for a combined evaluation. The Focused Diagnostic Interview uses a targeted set of measures and produces a brief diagnostic summary, completed in a single 3-hour session at $300/hour. Both include an optional 30-minute feedback session and both can support medication access. Neither is better — they serve different needs.
Can adults get an autism evaluation if they were never diagnosed as a child?
Yes. Many autistic adults were not diagnosed in childhood — particularly women, nonbinary people, and others whose presentations didn’t match the narrow criteria used historically. Late identification is one of the most common reasons adults seek evaluation at Side Quest Psychotherapy. No prior diagnosis is required.
What if I've already been evaluated but the process wasn't neuroaffirming?
A prior evaluation that missed masking, didn’t account for autistic burnout, or was conducted through a deficit lens may not reflect your actual experience. Side Quest Psychotherapy offers neuroaffirming second-look evaluations — the Focused Diagnostic Interview is particularly well-suited for adults who want a fresh, affirming assessment without repeating the full process.
Can my evaluation support access to medication?
Yes — both the Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment and the Focused Diagnostic Interview produce written documentation that can support medication conversations with your prescribing provider. Either evaluation can provide the clinical basis for medication access. If you need additional letters after your evaluation, these are available for $200 per letter within three months of your evaluation date.
Will my evaluation work for school or workplace accommodations?
The Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment produces a full clinical report that typically meets documentation requirements for many accommodation contexts, including university disability services. Because the report includes detailed descriptions of cognitive, sensory, and executive functioning patterns, it can also be useful for identifying specific workplace or academic accommodations.
The Focused Diagnostic Interview produces a brief diagnostic summary rather than a full psychoeducational-style report. While this may be sufficient for some informal accommodation conversations, it may not meet documentation standards for all institutions or employers.
It’s also important to know that you are never required to disclose a diagnosis to an employer. Many people prefer to request accommodations based on functional needs rather than diagnostic labels. If helpful, I can prepare a separate accommodations letter ($200) that translates evaluation findings into concrete recommendations (e.g., environmental adjustments, communication preferences, executive functioning supports) without requiring you to share your full report.
If you have a specific accommodation need in mind, mention it during your free consultation, and we can help determine which evaluation option will best support your goals.
Ready to find out more?
Jenna Stone, LCSW-C, offers neuroaffirming autism and ADHD evaluations in College Park, MD and via telehealth for adults and youth in Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. The free consultation is a no-pressure conversation — just a starting point.