I'm a recently self-diagnosed adult in the USA seeking a psychologist's evaluation for ASD and other commonly co-occurring conditions. My regular therapist isn't a psychologist and has limited experience with autism, so he referred me to an expert for evaluation. Last time I saw him he suggested a doctor who sounds good but is a long drive (almost 2 hours each way from my house) and can't see me for almost 2 months, which feels uncomfortably (but bearably) long. Today he suggested another psychologist, who's much closer (10 minutes away) and who he suspects may be able to see me sooner. I was doing some research today to prepare for calling her, and I noticed some things that worried me a little. I'm having trouble gauging if they're genuinely concerning, or if I'm just overreacting.
On the positive side, she's got decades of experience and is apparently a co-author of one of the standard evaluation instruments. She's affiliated with local big-name universities, which definitely sounds good on paper. And, of course, she's nearby and might have a shorter wait. The downsides are more complicated. She says she works with children and adults, but a lot of the material on her website is very focused on early evaluation of children. Her Community Resources section includes Autism Speaks and a bunch of organizations I don't know. When I dug into those other organizations I saw several recommendations of ABA and parent-centering and cure-focused language. Those all sound like warning signs I've heard before, but I don't know how to tell if I'm being overcautious. Maybe those are all just normal things to see on a psychologist's website?
I'd love any advice y'all can give. Here's the doctor's site:
http://nacsatl.com/
15 Apr 2019, 5:18 pm
