Autism Testing for Adults: Why Diagnosis Still Matters

What is Autism?

Autism is a neurological difference that impacts how one scales social interactions, interpersonal relationships, and experiences the world. Autism can cause sensory differences such as increased sensitivity to light, sound, and certain fabrics and textures. Those with autism can also struggle with executive functions such as managing attention and priorities, controlling emotions, and what is called “cognitive flexibility,” which defines one’s ability to adapt to new environments and situations, and change perspectives. Typically, autism is diagnosed in childhood. But this does not mean that it is too late to seek a diagnosis in adulthood. Many Autistic adults have been missed and were not diagnosed as children, which has left them feeling misunderstood throughout their lives.

Masking

Although not everyone with Autism finds a diagnosis necessary in adulthood and many live happy, fulfilled lives, there are also many difficulties that can come with undiagnosed autism. Autistic people “mask”, which is a coping mechanism that involves adopting neurotypical behaviors in place of autistic behaviors in order to “blend in” in social settings. Masking can be very tiring and lead to burnout in those who have autism. With a diagnosis, adults can better comprehend the root of their social differences. By knowing the cause, adults can seek and develop coping mechanisms to help reduce the burden and exhaustion of masking. Adults can be exposed to strategies such as “Spoon Therapy”, ways to decompress, and how to identify safe spaces and communities. Through these coping strategies, adults can reduce their burnout and minimize the mental toll that is often a product of masking. 

Self-Understanding

Adults with autism can struggle with “fitting in”. This can be due to intense special interests that can often be singularly valued, a heavy reliance on routines and structure in day-to-day life, and sensory needs, in addition to struggling with communication and social connection. Many autistic adults can struggle with feeling misunderstood or out of place. Seeking an autism diagnosis can help validate one’s experiences and allow them to cope with feelings of being “different” or “broken”. After receiving a diagnosis, one adult shared, “I used to feel like I was a broke neurotypical person, and now I know I am a perfectly healthy neurodiverse person.”

A diagnosis can help adults understand and explain the way their brain works, and therefore, they can seek tools for the way their brain functions. An autism diagnosis can also help adults to identify their strengths. Through acknowledging their special interests and intense passions as a part of how their brain operates, it can allow adults to recognize their special interests for what they are and gain the tools to leverage and play to their strengths. Special interests can be utilized in many different ways and can be used as a means of connection. Those with autism often struggle with seeking and obtaining community.

Luckily, there are many resources for autistic adults that assist with forging friendships and other relationships. There are support groups, community opportunities, and programs that connect those in the autism community and create safe places to form bonds and a sense of community. It is much easier to use these resources with an autism diagnosis. Once one can truly understand their identity connection with similar identities is much more attainable. 

Work Life

Living as an autistic adult can also make scaling work life particularly difficult, tedious, and exhausting. Traditional work environments and offices can be riddled with bright lights and loud, distracting noises. Environments such as these can be overstimulating and taxing to be in, which can cause difficulty focusing and completing tasks. Additionally, the executive functioning challenges that can come with living with autism can seep into work life. This can look like trouble with time management, juggling, and prioritizing tasks. Adjusting to quick changes in schedules, routines, and work expectations can also be difficult to manage and adapt to.

Lastly, in conjunction with the social challenges that are a factor of autism, many adults with autism have difficulty interpreting non-verbal cues and body language that are a part of group social banter. This can cause misunderstandings between peers and colleagues that make work life more stressful and confusing to scale. Receiving an autism diagnosis can help adults with autism recognize and therefore play to their strengths. Those with autism often shine in positions that are detail-oriented, require specialized knowledge, and demand pattern recognition skills. In addition to highlighting one’s strengths, an autism diagnosis also opens the door for workplace and legal accommodations that can improve job satisfaction. 

Work Accommodations

With an autism diagnosis, adults may be privy to workplace protections that can aid with sensory overload. These accommodations can help with communication amongst colleagues and managers as well as create a stronger sense of continuity and predictability in the workplace. Other accommodations can include access to noise-canceling headphones, modified dress code expectations, and use of fidget tools and other devices to help with self-regulation. There are several types of accommodations that can be implemented with an autism diagnosis. These can include communication, social, routines, structure, and environment. Communication-based accommodations can look like written and specified instructions that help break large tasks into smaller, more digestible pieces, receiving direct and clear communication from authority figures, and utilizing job coaches and digital applications or planners that improve task management. 

Social aspects of work accommodations can include minimizing responsibilities at social meetings and events, having access to agendas for meetings in advance, and, for remote workers, non-mandatory cameras on Zoom/video calls. To provide more dependable routines, more consistent and flexible hours can be offered. For those who work in person, gaining permission to take brief breaks that can manage stress and reduce sensory overload can improve comfort and productivity.

There are many ways that can improve in-person work environments for those with autism.

These include desk lamps in place of bright, fluorescent lights, dimmer switches, and private, more isolated work spaces that are further from high-traffic or loud areas. While having a formal autism diagnosis is very helpful when requesting and acquiring accommodations, for less invasive adjustments, a diagnosis is not always necessary. However, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, those with an autism diagnosis can obtain a wider variety of accommodations that can significantly improve their job satisfaction and overall work life. When requesting accommodations, it is important to remember to reach out as soon as the need is realised and to specify how these specific alterations will increase your job productivity and ability to carry out duties. 

Healthcare

Not only does seeking an autism diagnosis open doors for an improved work environment, but it also provides access to healthcare and support services. With a diagnosis, adults can utilize specialized care that can be funded via Medicare and/or Medicaid, which are primary sources for adults who live with disabilities. With a diagnosis, adults can utilize primary care doctors who have specializations in Autism making overall healthcare fit better to one’s needs. Additionally, a diagnosis can allow easier entry to professionals in fields such as neurology, psychology, and psychiatry.

In tandem with this, support for mental and behavioral health is more readily available. This could look like easier access to therapies for individual cognitive well-being. There are also services known as Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) that provide tailored assistance for those who struggle more deeply with day-to-day cognitive functions. Home and Community-Based Services supply daily assistance while allowing people to maintain their lives in their community, preserving interpersonal connections. For those who need less intense support, day programs are also available that offer training that helps with the development of social skills, life skills, and vocational preparation. So, to gain access to numerous beneficial healthcare services, such as specialized medical and mental health professionals and other support systems, an autism diagnosis can be crucial. 

Start Autism Testing for Adults in Colorado

If you or a loved one has reached adulthood but continues to question whether or not they could be on the autism spectrum, feel free to reach out! Here at Mountain Vista Psychology, we specialize in Autism and Autism testing. It is never too late to gain self-understanding with a diagnosis. You can start your therapy journey with our team by following these simple steps:

• Contact us today to schedule a consultation
• Meet with a caring therapist
• Start finding clarity and a path forward!

Other Services Offered by Mountain Vista Psychology

Autism testing isn’t the only service that our team offers from Littleton, Englewood, Hampden, and Greenwood Village, in addition to online counseling. We offer a variety of mental health services, including ADHD therapy for children, teens, and adults. We are happy to offer services both in-person and online counseling. Other services include child counseling, teen counseling, adult counseling, family therapy, grief counseling, and therapeutic yoga. Additionally, we also offer neurofeedback therapy. This includes targeted neurofeedback for ADHD, ADHD testing, anxiety, concussion/TBI recovery, and sports or performance enhancement. We also conduct evaluations for learning disabilities and neurofeedback for autism. Read through the Mountain Vista blog for helpful info!