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News and Research
Science-backed Information for Better Care
ScienceWorks is a modern telepsychology practice offering evidence-based care for: Autism & ADHD, Anxiety & Depression, OCD, Trauma, Insomnia, Kids & Families, and more.
These conditions frequently co-occur, can be difficult to diagnose, and also difficult to treat - often requiring specialist knowledge and direct clinical experience to achieve the best possible outcomes.
That's why research and training are the foundation of our work.
Our goal is sharing our knowledge with our friends, clients, and partners to build a stronger, more informed mental health community.
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Why OCD Gets Worse Under Stress: Flare-Ups and Relapse Triggers
Last reviewed: 03/04/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve ever wondered why OCD gets worse under stress, you’re not imagining it. Stress doesn’t “create” OCD out of nowhere, but it can turn the volume up on intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and compulsions, leading to OCD flare ups that feel sudden and intense. [1,2] In this article, you’ll learn: Why stress makes OCD feel more urgent Common ocd relapse triggers during busy or uncertain seasons Why compulsions and reassuran

Ryan Burns
Mar 58 min read


Borderline ASRS Results: What Clinicians Look For Next
Last reviewed: 02/27/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve taken the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and landed in the “borderline” zone, asrs results can feel like a frustrating non-answer: not clearly “positive,” not clearly “negative.” You’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. The ASRS (especially the 6-question screener) is designed to flag people who may benefit from a fuller evaluation, not to deliver a diagnosis by itself. [1][2] In this article, you’ll

Ryan Burns
Feb 278 min read


Private ADHD Assessment vs Neuropsych Testing: Which?
Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re searching for a private ADHD assessment, you’ll quickly notice that “testing” can mean very different things from one clinic to another. Some clinics offer a focused adult ADHD assessment built around a diagnostic interview and rating scales, while others recommend full neuropsychological testing for adhd in adults that looks broadly at learning, memory, and cognitive strengths. Both approaches can be appropriat

Ryan Burns
Feb 268 min read


Online ADHD Tests vs a Real Adult ADHD Assessment
Last reviewed: 02/26/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve taken an adult ADHD test online after another day of “Why can’t I just do the thing?”, you’re not alone. An online ADHD assessment (or “online ADHD test for adults”) can be a helpful first step, but it isn’t the same as a clinical diagnosis. In this article, you’ll learn: Why quick online results can feel so compelling during burnout The difference between ADHD screening for adults and diagnosis Signs it’s time

Ryan Burns
Feb 267 min read


ADHD, Anxiety, Depression Overlap: What Screeners Miss
The adhd depression anxiety overlap can make it hard to tell what’s “primary” without a fuller picture. Here’s how overlap happens, how screeners help, and what to do next.

Ryan Burns
Feb 208 min read


Executive Dysfunction in Adults: Why You Can't Start (and What Helps)
Executive dysfunction isn’t a character flaw. It’s a set of “brain management” skills (planning, starting, remembering steps, tracking time) that can get overloaded. This guide explains what executive dysfunction looks like in adults, how it differs from procrastination, and what to do next without self-blame.

Ryan Burns
Feb 199 min read


ADHD vs Anxiety in Adults: Why Screeners Get Confusing
ADHD vs anxiety symptoms adults can blur under stress. Learn how worry, shutdown, and sleep loss affect screeners like ASRS and GAD-7—and what to do next.

Ryan Burns
Feb 197 min read


ADHD and Perimenopause: Why Midlife Overwhelm Hits Harder
Perimenopause can feel like your brain’s “bandwidth” suddenly shrank: the same calendar, noise, decisions, and caregiving demands now trigger faster overload. For midlife women with ADHD, that can look like irritability, task paralysis, shutdown, or a sharp rise in shame. This guide explains what ADHD overwhelm is, why perimenopause can amplify it, and realistic, low-shame ways to get unstuck.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 1210 min read


ADHD and Menopause: Why Symptoms Can Spike Even If You Always Coped
Last reviewed: 02/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’ve spent decades “keeping it together,” it can be jarring when ADHD and menopause seem to team up and your symptoms suddenly spike. Tasks that used to be manageable take twice the effort. Brain fog shows up at the worst times. Your patience feels thinner, and your usual systems stop working. This is common, and it’s not a personal failure. The menopause transition can change sleep, mood, and cognition, and many wom

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 1212 min read


Late-Diagnosed Autism in Women: Signs After 40 and at Midlife
Late diagnosed autism in women is common after 40, especially when perimenopause or menopause changes sleep, sensory tolerance, and recovery time. Learn why needs can feel “unmasked,” how autism differs from ADHD/anxiety/trauma, and what a good adult assessment includes.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 410 min read


AuDHD and Perimenopause: Why Coping Systems Stop Working
Perimenopause can make long-built coping strategies collapse. This guide explains why AuDHD assessment midlife women often starts making sense now, and what support can help.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 48 min read


Autism and Menopause: Sensory Overload and Midlife Burnout
Autism and menopause can collide in midlife in ways that feel confusing: more sensory overload, less recovery time, and faster burnout. This guide explains why it happens and what helps.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 410 min read


ADHD, Sleep, and the Wired-at-Night Problem in Perimenopause
If your brain won’t turn off at night perimenopause, you are not imagining it. Sleep fragmentation can create ADHD-like symptoms (focus, memory, mood), and ADHD can also make “winding down” harder. This guide helps you sort sleep-only vs ADHD + sleep patterns and know what to track before an assessment.

Kiesa Kelly
Feb 410 min read


ADHD vs Anxiety in Perimenopause: How an Assessment Sorts Out What's Driving What
Perimenopause can turn focus, sleep, and emotions upside down. If you're stuck in the ADHD vs anxiety women question, a good assessment can map what came first, what worsened, and what supports will help—whether the answer is ADHD, anxiety, both, or neither.

Kiesa Kelly
Jan 188 min read
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