After Your Autism/ADHD Assessment
After an autism or ADHD diagnosis, there are several important steps that typically follow, but what happens can vary from person to person depending on their age, the specific diagnosis, and their support system. Here’s a breakdown of what typically happens:
Understanding Next Steps
If You Receive a Diagnosis
For Both Autism and ADHD:
- You should receive a written report explaining the diagnosis
- A follow-up appointment may be scheduled to discuss findings and recommendations
- You can request additional copies of your diagnostic report for school/work accommodations
- Consider disclosing your diagnosis selectively to people who need to know
- Connect with others with similar diagnoses through support groups
For Autism:
- Support Services:
– Autism-specific social skills groups
– Sensory integration therapy
– Speech and language therapy (if needed)
– Occupational therapy for daily living skills
– Employment support services - Accommodations:
– Workplace adjustments (noise-cancelling headphones, quiet workspace)
– Educational accommodations (extended time, alternative assessments)
– Housing accommodations (sensory-friendly environments) - Benefits: You may qualify for disability benefits depending on how autism affects daily functioning
For ADHD:
- Treatment Options:
– Medication management (stimulants and non-stimulants)
– Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
– ADHD coaching
– Skills training for organisation and time management - Accommodations:
– Extra time on tests
– Reduced distraction environments
– Use of assistive technology
– Flexible work arrangements - Follow-up Care: Regular appointments to monitor medication effectiveness and side effects
Understanding the Diagnosis:
- During the assessment’s feedback the clinician will provide you with an understanding of the diagnosis, what it means for you, and how it might manifest in different areas of your life.
- You might also get a formal diagnosis that details the specific features of autism / ADHD for your individual profile.
- Clinicians tend not to talk about the severity or how ‘high functioning’ a person may be. This is because people may find particular parts of their life challenging and not others, therefore labelling someone as ‘high functioning’ serves no purpose to most individuals.
Creating an Individual Education Plan (IEP), My Plan or Education & Health Care Plan (EHCP) for a school aged child:
- If the individual is a child and in school, you may wish to speak to your school SENCo or Inclusion Officer about getting some additional support. There is a podcast with further details about this is The Owl Centre’s podcast list – episode 003, in this website.
- This plan can help children with autism or ADHD to thrive by tailoring their learning environment to their needs, such as offering alternative methods of teaching or providing additional assistance.
Family and Support Systems:
- Families may also wish to receive support and guidance in understanding how autism or ADHD affects their loved one and how best to support them at home and in the community. Therefore, you may wish to invite them to you autism / ADHD feedback call.
- Support groups, counselling, and education for family members are sometimes offered to help manage challenges and promote a better understanding.
- Generally speaking, support services delivered by the NHS are over stretched and it might take a little while for services to get going. Ask you clinician exactly what the pathway or provision looks like so that you can adjust your expectations accordingly.
Building Skills:
- Therapy and interventions often focus on building emotional, sensory, communication, and daily living skills to help individuals with autism or ADHD understand themselves, become more independent and better navigate the world around them.
- The goal of any support service is to help a person in a neuro-affirmative manner, meaning recognising, respecting and supporting neurodivergent differences as natural variations of human experience rather than deficits or disorders. Therefore, suggesting strategies in collaboration with the individual in a solution focused way is essential.
Health and Well-being:
- People with autism or ADHD may also have other health issues, such as anxiety, depression, eating, sleep problems, etc. These are often addressed as part of a comprehensive care plan following a diagnosis.
- Regular follow-ups with doctors or specialists may be necessary to address any ongoing health needs.
Self-Care After An Assessment
- Process your emotions about the results (relief, grief, validation, confusion)
- Continue using strategies that help you function better
- Focus on strengths while addressing challenges
- Consider therapy to help now that you know more about your individual profile
- Remember that a diagnosis doesn’t change who you are