The Adult Autism Assessment Handbook - by Davida Hartman & Tara O'Donnell-Killen & Jessica K Doyle & Kavanagh & Day & Azevedo (Paperback)

About the Book

This comprehensive and easily digestible guide is an ideal reference for psychologists, psychiatrists and allied professionals working in the field of adult autism assessment. It draws upon lived experience of Autistic people and presents the most up-to-date research in adult autism assessment.

Book Synopsis

Adult autism assessment is a new and fast-growing clinical area, for which professionals often feel ill-equipped. Autistic adults are often misdiagnosed which has enormous implications for their mental health.

This accessible and comprehensive adult autism assessment handbook covers the most up to date research and best practice around adult autism assessment. It centers the person's internal experiences and sense-making in clinical assessment, rather than subjective observation, thus providing the clinician with a truly paradigm shifting Neuro-Affirmative approach to autism assessment. Traditional clinical assessment tools are comprehensively explored and unpacked to enable the clinician to have full confidence in aligning traditional criteria to the Autistic person's subjective experiences.

Full of additional resources like language guidelines and an exploration of the common intersections between Autistic experience and the effects of trauma, mental health and more, this book supplies a breadth of knowledge on key areas that affect Autistic adults in everyday life.

The mixed team of neurotypical and neurodivergent authors describe lived experience of Autistic adults, a how-to for conducting Neuro-Affirmative assessments and post-assessment support, alongside reflections from practice. This book also has a directory of further resources including downloadable forms that you can use to prepare for your own assessments and a downloadable deep dive into Autistic perception. This guide will also support professionals through every step of the assessment process.

Review Quotes

The Neuro-Affirmative approach to autism described in this comprehensive and beautifully written book is vital for all psychiatrists and diagnostic clinicians.

Up-to-date research, thought provoking reflection points, and the autistic experience is central throughout.

--Dr Sue McCowan, Psychiatry Lead Autistic Doctors International and Older People's Psychiatrist.

In this brilliant book all the aspects for understanding autistic neurology and giving an appropriate assessment are clearly framed. 41% of the population remain undiagnosed and over 40% commit suicide. This handbook is an essential tool in understanding and assessing for autism. Want to get it right? You need this book!--Dr. Wenn B. Lawson (PhD) AFBPsS MAPS.AASW

This necessary book provides a valuable contribution to professional discourse regarding neuroaffirmative adult-appropriate autism assessments. Hartman and her colleagues have provided a clear, reasoned and practical set of steps that professionals can take towards providing high-quality person centred assessments founded on respect for the strengths and preferences of the individual. This will be an important resource for anyone working with autistic adults.--Dr. Lorraine Seery, Principal Clinical Psychologist

Whilst the book focuses specifically on autism assessments in adults, the essential principles of the neuroaffirmative approach apply across the lifespan. In addition to promoting a more respectful and collaborative approach to assessment, this text covers the broader social context in which those assessments take place and introduce the reader to the neurodiversity movement with its contemporary challenges as well as rich history. Autistic voices and perspectives are centred throughout. It's a worthwhile read for anyone working with autistic people and not just those tasked specifically with conducting diagnostic assessments.--Dr Anna Rebowska, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

With clarity, practicality and humanity, this ground-breaking book exemplifies the paradigm shift to a neurodiversity affirmative perspective, the only one we should aim for today'. If you care for autistic people, this is THE book you want to read whatever your prior level of knowledge.--Bernadette Grosjean MD Associate Professor of Psychiatry (retired) Harbor UCLA. USA.

About the Author

Davida Hartman is an Adjunct Professor, as well as founder, Clinical Director and Senior Psychologist at The Adult Autism Practice and The Children's Clinic, both specialising in best practice Neuro-Affirmative autism assessments. She is also an author, having written many previous books with Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Tara O'Donnell-Killen is the founder and Principal Psychologist at Thriving Autistic, a non-profit global multidisciplinary team of Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent practitioners who specialise in supporting late-identified neurodivergent adults. Tara has held the role of Support lead for the Adult Autism Practice since inception and frequently lectures on Neuro-Affirmative Practice for universities across the UK and Ireland.

Jessica K Doyle is an Autistic Assistant Psychologist at the Adult Autism Practice, a director at Thriving Autistic, a project officer at TCDSense, and a consultant and researcher passionate about exploring Autistic perception and repositioning the lens away from thwarting Neurodivergent authenticity to designing for diversity, fostering growth and committing to universal design.

Dr Maeve Kavanagh is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who has worked with the Autistic community in both public and private services in Ireland since 2008. Maeve has worked as a Principle Clinical Psychologist with The Adult Autism Practice since its foundation in 2020, and is Co-Director of Childversity, specialising in Neuro-Affirmative autism assessments for children and adolescents.

Dr Anna Day is an Autistic clinical psychologist, worked previously in the UK's NHS and is now a Senior Clinical Psychologist at The Adult Autism Practice. Anna's daughter is Autistic. Anna is passionate about advocating for Autistic rights and Neuro-Affirmative approaches within mental health care and education.

Dr Juliana Azevedo is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who has worked in public and private mental health services. She also works with The Adult Autism Practice since 2020. She has developed and is piloting a service identifying Autistic children, young people and adults referred to a psychology primary care service.