Adult Neurodevelopmental Assessments: What You Need to Know & How to Prepare
- sussexpsychtherapy
- Sep 11, 2025
- 4 min read
Embarking on the journey to get a neurodevelopmental assessment as an adult can be both empowering and complex. It’s a significant step toward self-understanding, validation, and accessing support. Whether you're considering autism, ADHD, or other neurodivergent identities, understanding what to expect and how to prepare can make this process more affirming and less daunting.
What to Consider Before Seeking a Diagnosis
Personal Motivation and Goals: Reflect on why you want a diagnosis. Is it to better understand yourself, access accommodations, or find community? Clarifying your intention can guide your path. This can also help you to find a provider who matches your needs.
Self-Identification vs. Medical Label: Neurodivergence is a natural variation in human experience. A diagnosis helps you understand and label your experiences, but it does not define who you are. It is important to remember that current methods for determining a diagnosis rely on criteria that focus on the challenges and ‘impairments’ associated with a neurodevelopmental condition. While the label or diagnosis may be the outcome, it often represents only a small part of the overall process. A broader goal is often to help you make sense of your experiences, identify areas of support, and dismantle any negative or inaccurate beliefs you may have developed about yourself. Usually, this involves a more comprehensive assessment, and these objectives cannot be achieved effectively in brief assessments. However, everyone is different, and for some people, a shorter process that emphasises the diagnosis alone might be what they are seeking. When choosing a provider, it is important to ask questions about how they conduct their assessments and decide whether this aligns with what you are looking for.
Impact on Life: When deciding whether to get an assessment, consider how a diagnosis might impact you personally and professionally. People seek diagnoses later in life for a range of reasons. For some, it might be to help partners or loved ones understand them better. It may be for support at work or education, to get access to suitable workplace adjustments or health benefits. However, often the personal insights you gain, being able to understand yourself and your experiences through a more compassionate and informed lens, is the most valuable outcome.
Preparing for the Process
Gather Personal Records: Collect any relevant documentation, such as school reports or work assessments, medical histories, or reports from previous assessments.
Document Your Experiences: Write down your observations and reflections, or observations others have made, that have led you to seek an assessment. It can be overwhelming for some in the sessions when trying to think of examples. Ask people who know you well to contribute. Sometimes looking at childhood photos can help jog your memories of different periods in your life.
Research Providers: Seek experienced healthcare professionals who specialise in adult neurodevelopmental assessments. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. This process requires a considerable investment of time and money, and it can be emotionally challenging. It is crucial that you have confidence in the provider you choose.
Prepare Yourself Emotionally: Undergoing an assessment as an adult can be an emotive process. It may require you to revisit difficult and painful experiences from the past that have not necessarily been resolved. It can activate negative beliefs that you may have developed about yourself, which may feel exposing. It is essential to prepare yourself emotionally and consider what available resources you have to draw on if needed. Arriving at a diagnosis later in life can also lead to mixed feelings. While often a diagnosis can provide clarity and understanding, it can also contribute to feelings of resentment or loss for not having been diagnosed earlier in life. Working with a provider whom you have confidence in can make a big difference, which is why it is good to do your research. It is also helpful to work with a provider who offers post-diagnostic support, as they will be able to help you through the different stages of your journey. Remember, the diagnosis is not the end of the process but often the beginning.
Build a Support Network: Connect with neurodivergent communities online or locally for insights and emotional support during your journey. Most communities and organisations do not require you to have a confirmed diagnosis to be able to access their support.
Prepare Yourself for Whatever the Outcome May Be: Having an assessment does not guarantee a diagnosis. There are many reasons why a diagnosis cannot be made. Sometimes it is because there is not enough evidence to meet the diagnostic criteria required for a diagnosis according to current accepted standards. Other times, it may be because there are other symptoms of a different condition that better explain the challenges and experiences described. This can also relate to “diagnostic overshadowing,” which occurs when another condition is more prominent and causes such significant impairment that it overshadows another condition. In these cases, often a period of watchful wait while treatment is received or reasonable adjustments are implemented is required. None of these reasons means that your experiences and struggles are not real. In these cases, assessments that are not solely focused on the diagnostic outcome can be helpful.
Benefits of Getting an Diagnosis as an Adult
Self-Validation: Living with an undiagnosed neurodevelopmental condition can be extremely confusing, which can contribute to negative beliefs about yourself forming or feelings of being misunderstood. Understanding your experiences in the context of neurodivergence can often
Access to Support: Diagnoses can unlock accommodations at work, school, and healthcare.
Community Connection: Connecting with others who share similar experiences provides support and empowerment.
Tailored Strategies: Knowledge of your neurodivergence allows for personalised coping mechanisms and reasonable adjustments, where required. It is important to remember that many environments have been designed around neurotypical needs, as there are more neurotypicals in the world. This is often what causes the ‘impairment’ or distress. Everyone deserves equal opportunities in life, and often, small adjustments can support this.
Final Thoughts
Remember, being neurodivergent is a strength, and regardless of the outcome, the steps you are taking towards self-awareness is a brave act of self-advocacy and deserving of respect.
If you would like to talk to someone about the Neurodevelopmental Assessments offered at The Psychological Therapy Centre use the link to book a free initial consultation.
To book a pre-assessment directly use the link below.
This is an incredibly thoughtful and balanced guide to the adult assessment process. I particularly appreciate the nuance you bring to the emotional side of diagnosis—acknowledging that it can bring relief, but also grief for the years spent struggling without understanding. The point that "diagnosis is not the end of the process but often the beginning" is a profound truth.
Your advice to clarify personal motivations (e.g., self-understanding vs. accommodations) is crucial for setting expectations. For many adults, the primary driver is simply making sense of their life story.
For those currently in the "research and preparation" phase you described, having a structured way to document their traits before meeting a professional can be incredibly helpful. I often recommend the…