After a Positive AQ-10: What an Adult Autism Assessment Near Me Actually Looks Like
- Ryan Burns
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
Last reviewed: 02/27/2026
Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly
If you just had a positive AQ-10 and you’re searching “adult autism assessment near me,” a big question usually follows: What happens next? A screening score can point you toward a full evaluation, but it can’t explain your full profile on its own. [1]
In this article, you’ll learn:
What an adult autism assessment is trying to answer (beyond “yes/no”)
Typical steps in an autism evaluation for adults, including interviews and measures
What “informant history” means, and what to do if you don’t have it
How strong evaluators approach high-masking women and other high-compensation profiles
What you should receive afterward, plus next steps in Tennessee
💡 Key takeaway: A positive AQ-10 is a reason to look closer, not a diagnosis by itself. A good evaluation is about clarity and support planning. [1]
What the assessment is trying to answer
An adult autism evaluation is a structured clinical question: Does autism best explain your lifelong pattern, and if so, what does that mean for supports? In practice, the assessment is pulling together three things:
Whether your experiences align with autism diagnostic criteria [2][3]
How those traits show up in daily functioning (work, school, relationships, health) [2]
What other explanations or co-occurring conditions should be considered (for example ADHD, anxiety, OCD, trauma responses, or sleep issues) [6][7]
✅ Key takeaway: The goal is not to “prove you’re autistic.” It’s to understand your needs and the most helpful supports. [2]
Lifelong pattern + impact + support needs
Because autism is developmental, evaluators look for a pattern that shows up across the lifespan, even if it was masked, misread, or compensated for earlier on. [2][3]
A quality evaluator will also ask about the impact and the supports:
Where life gets harder (or more exhausting) than it “should” be
What happens when demands stack up (deadlines, social obligations, sensory stress)
What actually helps (predictability, accommodations, therapy approaches, coaching, sensory tools)
Practical example: You may “do fine” in meetings because you’ve learned scripts and social rules, but you crash afterward and need hours alone to recover. That recovery pattern can matter clinically, even if you look socially skilled. [4][5]
Typical steps in an adult autism evaluation
If you’re Googling “autism testing for adults near me” or “private autism assessment near me,” you’ll see a wide range of approaches. A strong evaluation is usually multi-step and multi-method, not a single questionnaire or one short appointment. [2][7]
Intake, interviews, measures, feedback
Many adult autism assessments include:
Intake and goals: Why you’re seeking evaluation and what you hope it changes
Clinical interview: Development, relationships, communication, routines, interests, sensory experience, and coping strategies [2][3]
Standardized measures: Questionnaires plus structured diagnostic interviews or observational tools (depending on the provider and your needs) [2]
Differential diagnosis: Attention to overlap and co-occurring conditions, because this often changes recommendations [6][7]
Feedback: Clear, individualized feedback about findings and next steps [2]
🧭 Key takeaway: A single “test” rarely answers the full question. Good evaluations pull together multiple data sources and explain how the pieces fit. [2]
Practical example: Two people can have similar AQ-10 scores but need different recommendations. One person may be dealing with autistic sensory overload plus burnout; another may have social anxiety and ADHD driving similar “I don’t fit” experiences. A careful assessment works through those possibilities. [6][7]
What “informant history” is and alternatives if you don’t have it
“Informant history” is information from someone who knew you well earlier in life (often a parent, older sibling, or caregiver). It can help because adults don’t always remember early childhood details clearly. [2]
But many adults don’t have an informant. Families may be estranged, caregivers may be unavailable, or traits were never recognized.
If you don’t have an informant, good evaluators can still use alternatives, such as:
Old report cards or teacher comments
Past therapy or medical records, if you have them
A developmental timeline you create (transitions, friendships, shutdowns, burnout episodes)
Concrete sensory and routine examples across your life
🧠 Key takeaway: Informant history is helpful when available, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Your lived experience and real-world examples matter. [2]
High-masking women: what good evaluators do differently
Many people seeking an “adult autism diagnosis near me” are high-masking or high-compensation, including many women and gender-diverse people. Research on social camouflaging suggests people can learn to hide or compensate for autistic traits, sometimes at a significant mental health cost. [4][5]
Looking beyond surface social skills
A strong evaluator doesn’t stop at, “You made eye contact, so you can’t be autistic.” Instead, they explore:
How you learned social rules (study, rehearsal, scripts, copying)
How automatic socializing feels versus how effortful it is
The “I can perform, but I can’t sustain it” pattern [4][5]
Misconception #1: “If I can make friends or date, autism is off the table.” Many autistic adults connect deeply, especially around shared interests. Evaluation is about pattern and effort, not stereotypes. [3][4]
Tracking effort, sensory load, recovery
High-masking profiles often show up in the after-effects:
Effort: The energy cost of “passing”
Sensory load: How light, sound, textures, or crowds affect your nervous system
Recovery: How long it takes to feel regulated again after demands [4][5]
Misconception #2: “Masking is just being polite.” Camouflaging can be protective, but long-term camouflaging is also linked with higher depressive symptoms and broader mental health strain in some studies. [5][6]
🌿 Key takeaway: Good evaluators ask about the cost of coping, not just the appearance of coping. [4][5]
What you should receive afterward
A well-done autism evaluation should leave you with clarity, not a vague “maybe.”
Clear rationale + written summary + recommendations
At minimum, you should receive:
A clear explanation of whether criteria were met and why [2][3]
A written summary you can use for therapy planning, workplace or school accommodations, and future care
Practical recommendations tied to your profile, such as sensory accommodations, executive function supports, communication strategies, and guidance for co-occurring concerns like anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma symptoms, or sleep issues [6]
Misconception #3: “A diagnosis is the finish line.” For most adults, the diagnosis is the starting point for self-understanding and practical change.
📝 Key takeaway: If you leave without a written summary and specific recommendations, it’s reasonable to ask for more detail. [2]
Next steps for adult autism assessment near me
If your search terms look like “autism assessment Tennessee” or “autism assessment Nashville,” it can help to think in two tracks: clarity and support.
Access the AQ-10
If you haven’t already, you can review the AQ-10 autism screener and jot down:
The items that felt most “true” and a real-life example for each
The situations where those traits create the most impact
Any patterns that feel different from autism and might point elsewhere
When you’re choosing a provider, a few practical “green flag” questions include:
How do you assess high-masking or late-identified adults?
What do you do if I don’t have informant history?
How do you screen for overlap (ADHD, anxiety, trauma, sleep)?
What will I receive in writing after feedback?
If you’d like to explore options with ScienceWorks, you can learn more about our psychological assessments and browse our mental health screening tools to get a sense of what questions you’d like an evaluation to answer.
If you’re ready to talk through next steps, you can contact ScienceWorks. If an assessment isn’t the right first move, we can also discuss support options like specialized therapy services and practical skill-building through executive function coaching.
✅ Key takeaway: The best “adult autism assessment near me” is the one that gives you clear answers and a realistic plan for support.
About ScienceWorks
Dr. Kiesa Kelly is the owner of ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare and focuses on helping people find clarity and practical next steps through evidence-based assessment and therapy.
She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology and completed extensive clinical training and an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship. Her background includes 20+ years of experience with psychological assessment and specialized training in neuroaffirming ADHD and autism evaluations.
References
Allison C, Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S. Toward brief “Red Flags” for autism screening: the short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the short Q-CHAT in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012;51(2):202-212.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.11.003
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (CG142). 2012 (updated). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142
American Psychiatric Association. Autism Spectrum Disorder (DSM-5-TR resource). https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/d48f7fa6-b6c8-4f6c-888b-b0adfeb9f5b6/APA-DSM5TR-AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf
Hull L, Petrides KV, Allison C, et al. “Putting on My Best Normal”: social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(8):2519-2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5
Lai M-C, Lombardo MV, Ruigrok ANV, et al. Quantifying and exploring camouflaging in men and women with autism. Autism. 2017;21(6):690-702. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316671012
Lai M-C, Kassee C, Besney R, et al. Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019;6(10):819-829. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30289-5
Tromans S, Desarkar P. Assessing for autism in adult psychiatry. BJPsych Open. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.542
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or individualized medical or mental health advice.
