News and Research
Science-backed Information for Better Care

Last reviewed: 03/11/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly When OCD / ADHD / autism overlap, it can feel like you’re trying to solve the wrong problem. You may be working hard on anxiety skills, routines, or productivity, but the stuck part stays stuck. That’s often a sign OCD is driving the plan, even if it doesn’t look like “classic” OCD. In this article, you’ll learn: How OCD can mimic (or hide behind) autism and ADHD traits Why executive function and sensory load can make sta

Last reviewed: 03/10/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly Therapy for high-masking women often begins with a quiet truth: you can look “fine” on the outside while feeling fried on the inside. You might be the capable one in public, and the person who crashes the moment the door closes. In this article, you’ll learn: What high masking can cost over time Why perfectionism can become protection What therapy can help with (and what “neurodivergent-affirming” actually means) When OCD

Last reviewed: 03/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re searching for pathological demand avoidance treatment, you may already know the frustrating paradox: the more someone feels pressured to “just do it,” the more their nervous system locks up. That pattern can show up in kids, teens, and adults and often co-occurs with ADHD, autism, anxiety, trauma, or a mix of them. In this article, you’ll learn: Why demand avoidance is often a stress response, not “attitude” How

Last reviewed: 03/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly For many adults, adult ADHD therapy is less about “trying harder” and more about changing the conditions that make action possible: lowering friction, reducing shame, and building systems that fit an ADHD nervous system. In this article, you’ll learn: Why overwhelm and freezing are common ADHD patterns (not a character flaw) What therapy targets when “small task paralysis” is the main problem ADHD-friendly strategies you

Last reviewed: 02/27/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve been staring at a questionnaire total and wondering what it actually means, you’re not alone. In midlife, phq 9 scoring can reflect depression, but it can also capture chronic stress, hormone-driven sleep disruption, or neurodivergent burnout that looks a lot like “low mood.” In this article, you’ll learn: What the PHQ-9 measures (and what it doesn’t) A simple PHQ-9 score interpretation (including common cutoffs

Last reviewed: 02/27/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve ever taken an online quiz and wondered, “So… do I have ADHD or autism?”, you’re not alone. Adult ADHD screening tools can be helpful, but a single score rarely tells the full story. That’s why quality evaluations typically include more than one questionnaire: clinicians are looking for a consistent pattern across attention, mood, sleep, anxiety, sensory load, and life history. In this article, you’ll learn: Why

Last reviewed: 02/27/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If your ASRS and AQ-10 were both positive, it can be tempting to jump straight to “So is this AuDHD?” An audhd assessment can help you sort out what’s going on, but screeners are only a starting point, not a diagnosis. In this article, you’ll learn: Why ADHD and autism traits can overlap (and feel contradictory) What popular screeners can and can’t tell you What to expect from a combined ADHD/autism evaluation How to choo

Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you just completed an adult ADHD assessment, it’s common to feel relief and uncertainty at the same time. You may be holding an ADHD assessment report full of scores, acronyms, and recommendations. Or you may have completed an autism evaluation for adults (or an ADHD and autism assessment) and are trying to understand what it means for your day-to-day life. In this article, you’ll learn: How to interpret results, inclu

Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re looking up where to get tested for autism or searching for an adult autism diagnosis near me, you may run into a common worry: “Do I need childhood records to get an adult autism or ADHD diagnosis?” The short answer: childhood history matters, but perfect childhood records are rarely required - especially in adult evaluations. A good clinician can often build a credible picture using interviews, real-life exampl

Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve been wondering about late diagnosed autism in women in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you’re not alone. Many high-masking women reach midlife feeling “functional” on paper while privately managing burnout, sensory overload, or relationship stress. A well-done adult evaluation can help you clarify what’s a lifelong neurodevelopmental pattern versus what’s better explained by anxiety, trauma, sleep problems, hormonal s

Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re looking into an AuDHD assessment, you’re probably not trying to collect labels. You’re trying to make sense of patterns like: “Why is work doable some days and impossible on others?” “Why do social situations drain me?” “Why do I crave novelty and also need predictability?” In this article, you’ll learn: What “AuDHD” means and why ADHD and autism can coexist The overlap clinicians untangle in an ADHD and autism

Last reviewed: 03/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re searching for AQ-10 scoring because you just took the adult autism screener and got a number you can’t stop thinking about, you’re not alone. The AQ-10 is quick by design, but your experience is not. In this article, you’ll learn: What each AQ-10 score range usually suggests (and what it doesn’t) The most common AQ-10 cutoff and why “borderline” is a real category Why masking, anxiety, trauma, and ADHD overlap c

Last reviewed: 02/23/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly High masking autism in women can get mislabeled as “just anxiety,” especially when someone is bright, capable, and socially skilled on the surface. If you’ve done years of coping strategies, therapy, and self-help but still feel like daily life takes an outsized amount of effort, it may be worth looking at what’s driving the stress, not just how the stress shows up. In this article, you’ll learn: Why anxiety treatment som

If you’re searching audhd traits adults and your screener results feel “all over the place,” you’re not alone. When autism and ADHD overlap, traits can pull in opposite directions, and masking, anxiety, or burnout can skew self-tests. This guide explains why contradictions happen, what patterns matter most, and how to use screeners to plan a calm next step.

Autism screening results can raise big questions, especially for people who’ve masked for years. Learn what AQ-10, RAADS-14, and CAT-Q scores can and can’t tell you, plus gentle next steps toward evaluation, accommodations, and support.

AQ-10 vs RAADS-14 can feel confusing when you’re trying to make sense of autistic traits as an adult. Here’s what each screener is best for and what to do next.

Autism hot flashes can feel like more than “being warm.” If your nervous system already runs close to overload, a sudden temperature shift in perimenopause or menopause can flip the switch into shutdowns or meltdowns. This guide explains why, what to watch for, and how to plan supports that actually fit your life.

Midlife autistic burnout can hit hard when decades of masking meet perimenopause, family demands, and shrinking recovery time. Learn how to spot it, what it is not, and what to stop shaming yourself for.

Menopause masking is when you look “fine” in midlife while spending a growing amount of energy to hold it together. This guide explains what it means, why the mask slips, signs of burnout, and what support can help.

Undiagnosed autism and menopause can collide in midlife, making long-held coping strategies suddenly feel like they stop working. Learn why sensory overload, fatigue, burnout, and executive function strain can spike in perimenopause, plus how a neurodiversity-affirming assessment and practical supports can help.