FAQ's

All sessions are "telehealth", meaning Zoom or comparable platform. All sessions are 50 minutes in length.

All of our costs are laid out on our "Services Overview" page. https://www.adult-autism-assessment.com/new-services If you have any questions, please ask your clinician. She or he would be glad to walk you through all of your options.

No, we do not. Please also be aware of the limitations below: ​ We do NOT provide assessments to children (under 18 years old) as this is a distinct specialty. We do NOT provide assessments outside of California; however, we would be glad to provide specialized neurodiverse coaching no matter where you live. We do NOT administer assessments for adults without verbal fluency. We do NOT provide assessments to clients who are solely seeking an assessment and do not wish to receive couples or individual counseling. We believe that knowledge is rarely enough for our clients. Knowledge needs to be combined with a clear growth plan and caring support. We do NOT perform neuropsychological testing such as tests which specifically measure motor and psychomotor skills, memory, concept formation, visual-perceptual skills, degree of self-sufficiency in real-life situations, and academic achievement (performance in school-like subjects). Such tests are NOT required for an ASD or ADHD diagnosis.

We only provide assessments to those who are living in California. If you live outside of California, we can provide neurodivergent-informed coaching, but not an assessment and diagnosis.

Our practice is an out-of-network provider; however, we gladly provide "superbills" for you to submit to your insurance company so long as you are in the state of California. Read more on our INSURANCE INFO page.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), classifies Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) into three severity levels based on the amount of support needed. These levels help to better understand and provide appropriate care for individuals with ASD. Level 1: "Requiring Support" - Level 1 ASD is the mildest form. Individuals at this level may have difficulties in social communication and may find it hard to initiate interactions with others. They typically can speak in full sentences and engage in communication but might struggle with more nuanced social interactions, such as understanding sarcasm or nonliteral language. - These individuals might have inflexible behavior, difficulty switching between activities, or problems with organization and planning, which can cause impairment in personal, social, or occupational functioning. Level 2: "Requiring Substantial Support" - Individuals with Level 2 ASD have more noticeable difficulties in social communication compared to Level 1. They might have limited conversational skills, and their atypical or unsuccessful responses in social situations are more apparent. - Repetitive behaviors are more evident at this level. These individuals might struggle with changes in their environment or routine and may have more restrictive and repetitive behaviors that interfere significantly with functioning in various contexts. Level 3: "Requiring Very Substantial Support" - Level 3 ASD represents the most severe form, where individuals require a great deal of support. They have severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills, causing severe impairments in functioning. Social interactions are highly limited. - Repetitive behaviors are more pronounced and can be very disruptive to daily life. These individuals may be extremely resistant to change or have difficulties shifting focus or action. It's important to remember that ASD is a spectrum, and these levels are not fixed or absolute. An individual's needs can change over time, and the level of support required can vary depending on various factors such as environment, stress, and co-occurring conditions. Each person with ASD is unique, and the severity level does not necessarily reflect their abilities or potential.

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Sorry for the unclear answer! EMPLOYER FORMS Our primary focus and expertise is the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions as defined by the American Psychological Association. Nonetheless, we are glad to assist you in seeking accommodations when appropriate. Long-term Disability: Job accommodations relating to Long-Term Disability fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and typically require a different type of assessment. For example, the words “psychiatric disability” and “mental illness” are often used interchangeably. However, the term “mental illness” is properly used in a medical context to refer to a set of conditions related to emotional and mental health. The term “psychiatric disability” is typically used in a legal or policy context to refer to impairments covered under the ADA. Accordingly, we are unable to complete employer forms which are designed to address long-term disability (ADA) matters. Short-term Disability Job accommodations which are responsive to "short-term disability" are typically within our scope. Speak to your therapist about your particular needs. LETTER TO YOUR EMPLOYER We are able to write a letter to you that you can share with your employer. With your written permission, this letter may include: any diagnosis that we have given to you observations of your ability to function the focus of our assessment and therapeutic work together Please know that your therapist will charge for the work related to accommodations at her or his regular therapy rates for the time it takes to prepare letters or other documentation. Also, there is no guarantee that any letters or forms that we provide will the accommodations that you are seeking. OTHER RESOURCE We also encourage you to visit The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) which is an organization which specializes in helping individuals seeking job accommodations. https://askjan.org/disabilities/Autism-Spectrum.cfm We realize that this is an important matter and want to support you as much as we can.

We have full confidence in our team. Those who are Associate level clinicians have a Master's level degree in Clinical Psychology and are pursuing further training under clinical supervision of Dr. Harry Motro. Please know that: In the state of California, Master's level clinicians are authorized to assess and diagnose all mental health issues. This is based on Board of Behavioral Sciences Statutes and Regulations section 4980.02(b) which states are licensed to perform services including the assessment, evaluation, prognosis, treatment, planning and evaluation. This includes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in conjunction with providing psychotherapy. We always integrate therapeutic support into the assessment process. All of our clinicians have taken graduate level training on assessment of mental disorders and received additional specific training on neurodivergent assessments as part of our organization. Our battery of assessments are drawn from the top national providers of psychological testing (WPS, Pearson, MHS). As psychotherapists, we have the same access as psychologists. You can read more about our assessment process at: https://www.adult-autism-assessment.com/asd-assessment As opposed to many psychologists and clinicians who are generalists, our team members specialize in neurodiversity and thus are well-versed in understanding the nuances of how ASD and ADHD can present, especially for women. Our group provides over 1,000 therapy sessions per month focused on neurodiversity. This enables our clinicians to be well versed in autism and ADHD characteristics when performing an assessment. Dr. Harry Motro, who is the Clinical Director of the Adult Autism Assessment Center and the Neurodiverse Couples Counseling Center and a Doctor of Clinical Psychology, supervises all clinicians and personally reviews all assessments. We want you to understand our process and to earn your full confidence. All of our clinicians will be glad to discuss all of your questions.