Stonewater Therapy
Autism Assessment
A Clearer Understanding of Yourself or Your Child
Autism can influence how someone communicates, connects with others, processes sensory experiences, and navigates everyday life. Understanding these differences can provide valuable insight into individual strengths, challenges, and support needs.
At Stonewater Therapy, we offer individualized autism assessments for children, teens, and adults. Our approach focuses on understanding the whole person, providing diagnostic clarity, and identifying meaningful next steps.
Understanding Autism: Everyone's Experience Is Different
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that shapes how individuals experience, process, and interact with the world. Autism presents differently in each person, with unique strengths, experiences, and support needs.
Autism-related differences may be recognized early in childhood, while others begin exploring the possibility of autism during adolescence or adulthood. Differences in social communication, sensory processing, routines, interests, or emotional regulation may become more noticeable as life circumstances and expectations change.
Autism is not something that needs to be fixed. Understanding how a person experiences the world can help identify supportive strategies, recognize strengths, and create environments that better meet their needs.
An autism assessment can provide greater insight into these experiences and help clarify whether autism may explain certain patterns or challenges.
Reasons to Consider an Autism Assessment
People seek autism assessments for many reasons. You may have noticed differences in yourself or your child that are difficult to explain, or you may have spent years wondering why certain experiences seem more challenging than they do for others.
Some common reasons for seeking an assessment include:
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Social Communication and Connection: Difficulty interpreting social cues, navigating conversations, developing friendships, or understanding social expectations.
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Sensory Experiences: Heightened sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures, or other sensory input, or a need for particular types of sensory experiences.
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Routines and Transitions: A strong preference for predictability, difficulty adjusting to unexpected changes, or feeling overwhelmed by transitions.
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Focused Interests and Patterns: Deep interests in particular subjects, repetitive movements or behaviors, or preferred ways of approaching activities.
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Emotional Regulation and Daily Functioning: Challenges managing overwhelm, navigating daily responsibilities, or responding to stressful situations.
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Understanding Lifelong Experiences: Feeling different from others, working hard to fit into social situations, or recognizing patterns that have been present for many years.
Experiencing some of these differences does not necessarily mean someone is autistic. An assessment considers developmental history, current experiences, strengths, and other possible explanations to provide a more complete understanding.
Understanding Autism in Children, Teens, and Adults
Autism may be recognized at different stages of life, and the reasons for seeking an assessment often change with age. Some individuals show noticeable developmental differences in early childhood, while others develop ways to adapt or mask their differences, making autism less readily recognized.
Autism Assessments for Adults
Many adults explore autism after years of feeling different or struggling to understand certain experiences. An assessment can help clarify lifelong patterns, provide insight into individual strengths and challenges, and support greater self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Autism Assessments for Teens
As social and academic expectations increase, teens may experience greater difficulty navigating friendships, managing sensory overwhelm, or balancing everyday responsibilities. Some adolescents work hard to mask their differences, which can contribute to anxiety, exhaustion, or feeling misunderstood. An assessment can help teens better understand their experiences and identify appropriate supports.
Autism Assessments for Children
Parents may seek an assessment when they notice differences in communication, play, peer relationships, sensory responses, emotional regulation, or developmental milestones. An assessment can help families better understand their child's experiences and identify supports that meet their developmental, emotional, and everyday needs.
Autism may also be overlooked in individuals whose experiences do not match common stereotypes, including some girls and women. At Stonewater Therapy, assessments consider individual differences, developmental experiences, and the ways autism characteristics may be expressed or masked.
What to Expect During an Autism Assessment
At Stonewater Therapy, autism assessments provide a comprehensive understanding of each person's developmental history, experiences, strengths, and support needs. The assessment process is collaborative and individualized. Depending on age, presenting concerns, and available information, the evaluation may include the following components.
Written Report, Feedback, and Recommendations
Following the evaluation, you will receive a written report summarizing the assessment findings, diagnostic conclusions when appropriate, and individualized recommendations. We will also review the results together, answer questions, and discuss practical next steps.
Clinical Review and Interpretation
Assessment information is carefully reviewed to identify patterns, consider diagnostic criteria, and explore other factors that may contribute to or occur alongside autism. These may include ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or other developmental and mental health concerns.
Standardized Assessment Measures and Observations
We begin by exploring current concerns, developmental experiences, social communication, sensory needs, emotional well-being, and everyday functioning. Parent or caregiver perspectives and other developmental information may be considered when appropriate.
Clinical Interview and Developmental History
We begin by exploring current concerns, developmental experiences, social communication, sensory needs, emotional well-being, and everyday functioning. Parent or caregiver perspectives and other developmental information may be considered when appropriate.
Autism assessments at Stonewater Therapy follow a consistent, structured process using standardized assessment instruments. When needed, additional interviews or information may be gathered to ensure a thorough understanding of each individual's experiences and support needs.
More Than a Diagnosis: What an Autism Assessment Can Provide
An autism assessment is about more than determining whether someone meets diagnostic criteria. It can offer meaningful insight into individual strengths, challenges, and support needs, and guide informed decisions about everyday life.
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An assessment may help with:
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Diagnostic Clarity: Understanding whether autism or other factors may explain certain experiences and challenges.
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Greater Self-Understanding: Recognizing patterns in communication, sensory processing, relationships, and daily functioning.
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Identifying Strengths: Recognizing abilities, interests, and personal qualities that support growth and well-being.
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Educational and Workplace Support: Identifying recommendations that may inform accommodations, learning strategies, or environmental adjustments.
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Therapy and Support Planning: Exploring individualized strategies, resources, and services that may be beneficial.
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Family Understanding: Helping parents, caregivers, and loved ones better understand individual experiences and provide meaningful support.
Whether or not an autism diagnosis is identified, assessment findings can provide valuable information that supports self-advocacy, informed decisions, and greater confidence in moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Autism assessments at Stonewater Therapy start at $750. The assessment includes a clinical interview, standardized assessment instruments, interpretation of findings, a written report, and a feedback session. Additional interview or assessment time may be recommended when needed.
Yes. Autism assessments are available for children, teens, and adults. Many adults seek assessment after recognizing lifelong patterns or wanting to better understand their experiences.
You do not need to be certain that autism is present before seeking an assessment. The evaluation explores your concerns, considers other possible explanations, and helps determine whether autism may explain your experiences.
Yes. Autism and ADHD can occur together, and some characteristics may overlap. An autism assessment considers these similarities and other relevant factors to help clarify diagnostic questions. A separate ADHD assessment may be recommended when appropriate.
An assessment evaluates whether an individual's experiences and developmental history meet the diagnostic criteria for autism. A diagnosis is provided when supported by the findings, along with recommendations for appropriate next steps.
Yes. Your written report includes individualized recommendations, which we will review during the feedback session. These may include therapy, educational or workplace supports, accommodation recommendations, community resources, or additional service recommendations when appropriate.
Take the First Step Toward Greater Understanding
Understanding yourself or your child can make a meaningful difference. An autism assessment can provide clarity, recognize individual strengths, and help identify supportive next steps. Contact Stonewater Therapy to discuss your concerns, learn about the assessment process, and explore whether an autism assessment may be right for you or your child.