What to Expect During an Evaluation

When an adult has an autism evaluation, the process will vary depending on the practices of the assessment professionals involved and the specific needs of the adult. 

• The assessment may happen in 1 session or in multiple sessions.  
• The assessment may be conducted by an individual professional or by an evaluation team.  
• Most autism evaluations include an interview in which the evaluator or members of the evaluation team ask a series of questions.   
• “Formal” or standardized tests may be incorporated in the assessment. These tests include activities and questions previously administered to hundreds of people so that responses may be compared to those of autistic people and non-autistic people.  
• Most evaluations include written questionnaires or checklists. These are often online. The assessor may ask you to complete the forms prior to the in-person session(s).  

Involvement of family members/friends 

Do not be surprised if the evaluator suggests including family members or friends in the assessment process. It is a standard practice when assessing a child to collect information from teachers, therapists, parents, or extended family members. This helps the evaluator to understand how the person acts in various settings and to extend the assessment information beyond just what is observed during the assessment itself.

Adults also have people in their lives who have had opportunities to see them in different settings and across time. The evaluator may ask to include a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend in the process and may involve one or more of those individuals through interview or through completion of a questionnaire or checklist.