Post by Amanda Moses

I’m a psychologist who assesses autism in my clinical practice. I’m also an autism researcher, and I have trained psychologists globally in how to diagnose autism. Here are some things I look for in less stereotyped presentations. 1. The client’s internal experience of their traits, not just what I can observe from the outside. 2. What “functioning well” costs them, emotionally and physically, rather than how capable they appear. 3. Interests they’ve let go of or feel ashamed to talk about, often because they’ve learned those interests are “too childish” or not seen as a productive use of time. 4. Subtle patterns in literal communication. Many clients will tell me they understand sarcasm or can read between the lines, but that alone isn’t what I’m paying attention to. For those who assess autism, what tends to carry the most diagnostic weight in complex cases for you? #psychologist #autism #autismassessment