Frequently Asked Questions

Clinical Approach

  • Inner Awareness reflects the idea that understanding your internal experience—how your brain and nervous system process information, emotion, attention, sensory input, and daily life—is an important part of psychiatric care.

    For many neurodivergent people, greater self-understanding can change how symptoms are interpreted, how supports are chosen, and how treatment decisions are made, including decisions about medication.

    The Inner Awareness Psychiatry approach emphasizes awareness, self-understanding, and practical strategies that support long-term functioning and overall well-being.

  • Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how human brains and nervous systems function.

    Within this, people may be described as, or may self-identify as, neurodivergent when the way they think, process, sense, communicate, or pay attention differs from what is typically expected. Autism and ADHD are common examples of neurodivergence.

    Neurotypical generally refers to people whose cognitive and sensory processing fall within more typical or expected ranges.

    The term neurotype is sometimes used to describe an individual’s overall pattern of brain and nervous system functioning, including how they process information, attention, emotion, communication, and sensory input.

    At Inner Awareness Psychiatry, these terms are used throughout evaluation and ongoing care to support a more nuanced understanding of neurotype, context, and support needs.

  • Neurodiversity-affirming care means that differences in brain and nervous system functioning are approached with respect rather than treated as defects or character flaws. This does not mean ignoring challenges, disability, distress, impairment, or support needs. It means care is grounded in curiosity, respect for lived experience, and recognition that neurodevelopmental differences may involve both real challenges and meaningful strengths.

    Neurotype-informed care means that a person’s neurotype is part of how assessment, treatment, and support are understood. Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, sensory experience, executive functioning, communication style, masking, burnout, and nervous system regulation may all affect assessment, diagnosis, medication response, therapy, and what kinds of support are actually useful.

  • Neurotype-informed psychiatric care means that autism, ADHD, AuDHD, sensory experience, executive functioning, communication style, masking, burnout, and nervous system regulation are part of the clinical picture rather than treated as side notes.

    Slow psychiatry refers to a more deliberate approach to psychiatric care. It is not a 15-minute med check model.

    Rather than moving quickly from symptoms to diagnosis or medication changes, neurotype-informed slow psychiatry creates space to understand what is driving the concern, how it fits into the person’s nervous system, environment, neurodevelopment, and lived experience, and what kind of support is actually likely to help.

    This approach can be especially important for people with diverse neurotypes, neurodevelopmental differences, and neurodivergent identities whose experiences may not fit neatly into standard symptom checklists. The goal is thoughtful, individualized care that supports real-life functioning, self-understanding, and quality of life.

  • Working with a neurodivergent provider can be meaningful for some patients because autistic and ADHD experiences are often misunderstood, minimized, or interpreted through clinical and social frameworks that were not designed with neurodivergent people in mind.

    Clinical training is essential, and lived experience can add another layer of understanding. It may help a provider recognize patterns that are often missed or misunderstood, including masking, sensory differences, burnout, executive dysfunction, social communication differences, and the ways symptoms, side effects, or medication responses may show up differently in neurodivergent adults.

    At Inner Awareness Psychiatry, neurodivergent lived experience informs—but does not replace—structured clinical assessment, psychiatric training, and diagnostic reasoning. For some patients, this can reduce the feeling of having to translate or justify their experience before it can be understood. The goal is to provide care that is clinically accurate, personally meaningful, and practically useful.

  • Autism and ADHD evaluations are offered by several types of clinicians, and each discipline brings a different perspective. A PMHNP brings a medical, psychiatric, and treatment-informed lens to the evaluation.

    PMHNPs are trained in psychiatric assessment, differential diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and treatment planning. Experience treating psychiatric conditions provides insight into how they present, affect daily functioning, respond to medication, and interact with sleep, physical health, and other medical or neurological factors.

    At Inner Awareness Psychiatry, that psychiatric foundation is combined with a specialized focus on adult autism, ADHD, and AuDHD and clinical experience caring for neurodivergent adults. The result is an evaluation informed by both psychiatric treatment knowledge and a neurotype-informed understanding of how autism, ADHD, and AuDHD present in adults.

Autism, ADHD, and AuDHD: Evaluation Basics

  • The focused Neurodevelopmental Evaluation at Inner Awareness Psychiatry is designed for adults who suspect they may be autistic or have ADHD, have been told they may be autistic or have ADHD, or are wondering whether autism, ADHD or AuDHD may better explain their experiences.

    Many adults pursue evaluation after years of feeling different, misunderstood, or unsure why certain patterns have persisted despite insight, effort, therapy, medication, or other treatment. Many were never identified as children because they masked — coping well enough on the outside that no one looked further.

    The goal of the evaluation process is to help you better understand how your brain and nervous system work, and how that understanding can support self-advocacy, accommodations, treatment decisions, and quality of life.

    This evaluation is designed to answer the question: Am I autistic? Do I have ADHD? Or both? It does not include a separate psychiatric differential evaluation or address other diagnoses, mental health concerns or conditions.

  • Many adults seeking an autism or AuDHD evaluation have previously been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or another mental health condition.

    The Neurodevelopmental + Psychiatric Evaluation is for individuals who have questions about whether previous diagnoses fully explain your experiences, whether autism or AuDHD may be a more accurate explanation, or whether more than one diagnosis may be appropriate.

    This evaluation is also for individuals who want to explore more than whether the findings support autism, ADHD, or both. The additional psychiatric evaluation gives us time to assess questions about anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, or previous diagnoses—and how these may relate to your experience.

    In addition to the neurodevelopmental evaluation sessions, it includes additional planning and records review, a psychiatric differential evaluation, and a clinical formulation that brings the neurodevelopmental and psychiatric findings together.

    If you are not sure where your questions fit, that is exactly what the free consultation is for. Tell me what you want the evaluation to help you understand, and we can talk through which option is likely to answer those questions. We can also revisit the choice after I review your intake materials.

  • A thorough neurodevelopmental evaluation includes a diagnostic interview, standardized measures, and a careful developmental history. Together, these help a qualified clinician determine whether the criteria for autism or ADHD are met. This approach applies to both adults and children because the criteria are behavioral and developmental—what your experience has been, when it began, and how it affects your life across settings.

    Full neuropsychological batteries—such as tests of IQ, memory, and processing speed—provide additional information about a person’s cognitive profile. They can be especially valuable for children, whose results may shape educational supports while they are still in school and developing. They may also help adults when learning differences are suspected or the diagnostic picture is complex. For many adults identified later in life, a full neuropsychological battery can provide useful insight into how they think and process information, but it is not required to answer the core diagnostic questions: “Am I autistic? Do I have ADHD?”

  • No. Lets look at what the similarities and differences.

    Neuropsychological evaluations often include cognitive and performance-based testing. You complete structured tasks that may measure memory, processing speed, attention, reasoning, language, and academic skills. The results provide detailed information about your cognitive profile—how you performed on specific tasks compared with other people your age. Depending on the reason for the evaluation, a neuropsychological evaluation may also assess for autism, ADHD, learning disorders, or other conditions.

    A focused Neurodevelopmental Evaluation at Inner Awareness Psychiatry is a diagnostic evaluation specifically for autism and ADHD. It is designed to determine whether you meet the criteria for autism, ADHD, or both. A Neurodevelopmental + Psychiatric Evaluation also examines what else may be contributing to what you’re experiencing—including mood, anxiety, trauma, sleep, and other conditions that can look similar to or occur alongside autism or ADHD.

    The neurodevelopmental portion of both evaluations includes a structured developmental and clinical interview, standardized questionnaires scored against established norms, and a careful review of your history.

    Neuropsychological, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric evaluations are each legitimate and thorough. There can be overlap between them, but their focus, methods, and scope differ:

    • A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation can assess for ADHD and autism while also asking: “How do I perform on these tasks, and where are my cognitive strengths and weaknesses?”

    • A focused Neurodevelopmental Evaluation seeks to answer: “Am I autistic? Do I have ADHD?”

    • A Neurodevelopmental + Psychiatric Evaluation asks those questions while also examining previously assigned, alternative, and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses.

    Many adults have spent decades noticing patterns in how they think, learn, feel, and respond to the world without having a framework that fully explains those patterns. An evaluation at Inner Awareness Psychiatry can help bring those experiences together and clarify how your neurotype, brain, and nervous system may be shaping your life. Choosing among a focused Neurodevelopmental Evaluation, a Neurodevelopmental + Psychiatric Evaluation, and a full neuropsychological battery depends on what you want to understand, how much detail you need, and how you plan to use the information.

    The useful thing to ask yourself is which question—or which questions—you’re actually trying to answer. If you’re not sure, bring it to a consultation. I’d rather help you sort that out before you spend money than after.

    • You have a goal and want a map. A competitive program, university, graduate school, law school, or medical school—knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are can help you build around them.

    • A specific difficulty is central to what you do. For example, skipping lines, misreading instructions, or getting the wrong end of things—is that attention, or a learning disability? Testing can help separate them. That matters most when the skill is central to your work. An editor with a reading problem needs that answer in a way most people don’t.

    • You need documentation for a specific purpose. Requirements for disability benefits or accommodations vary among testing boards, licensing exams, universities, and other organizations. Before booking an evaluation, review the organization’s current requirements and confirm whether it requires a full neuropsychological evaluation or particular tests.

    • You want a detailed cognitive profile. Even when it isn’t required, some people find it valuable to understand their memory, attention, processing speed, reasoning, and learning patterns in greater depth. That’s a valid reason.

    Some situations point clearly to a neuropsychologist:

    • Brain injury (TBI) with lasting effects, stroke, seizure disorder, MS, or chemotherapy—where the question is whether or how your thinking has changed.

    • A cognitive decline from how you used to function.

    • A question about intellectual disability.

    A full neuropsychological battery is most useful when the additional cognitive detail will answer a specific question, document a particular need, or guide an important decision.

  • Yes. All evaluations are currently conducted through secure telehealth. In‑person evaluation is not available at this time.

  • Inner Awareness Psychiatry provides adult autism, ADHD, and AuDHD evaluations for individuals age 18 and older. Evaluations for children and adolescents are not offered.

Autism, ADHD, and AuDHD: Evaluation Process

  • After the pre-evaluation consultation, a non-refundable $400 deposit reserves your evaluation. Evaluation fees are paid in stages, with part of the fee due before the first appointment and the remaining balance due before the second appointment.

    After booking, you will receive access to the secure patient portal to complete intake forms and questionnaires before your first evaluation appointment. These materials are an important part of the evaluation and must be completed prior to the first session.

  • All autism, ADHD, and AuDHD evaluations at Inner Awareness Psychiatry include detailed intake forms and questionnaires, a review of developmental history and current concerns, standardized measures, and structured clinical interviews. Input from a supporting person may also be included when useful and available. Additional questionnaires or assessment tools may be used when helpful to clarify the diagnostic picture.

    The focused Neurodevelopmental Evaluation stays centered on the question of whether you meet the criteria for autism, ADHD, or both.

    The Neurodevelopmental + Psychiatric Evaluation includes a review of relevant medical, mental health, and prior evaluation records, and a psychiatric differential evaluation that considers previously assigned, alternative, and co-occurring diagnoses. The findings are considered together to clarify which diagnoses fit, how they overlap, and how they relate to what you have experienced over time.

    Both evaluations conclude with a results exploration and feedback session and a written Diagnostic Findings Report.

    Evaluations are conducted using established clinical diagnostic criteria and structured assessment methods appropriate for adult autism and ADHD evaluation. The goal is to understand patterns across development and context rather than relying on a single test or score.

  • After your free consultation, you’ll reserve your evaluation with a $400 deposit and schedule your Evaluation-planning session (30min). You’ll have time to review and sign the policies and consents and complete your intake forms and questionnaires before we meet. During the planning session, we’ll discuss what you hope to get from the evaluation, decide what other information would be useful, and schedule your remaining appointments together. The clinical evaluation sessions are typically scheduled one week apart.

    Neurodevelopmental Evaluation sessions (2-5 hours). We reserve two hours for each neurodevelopmental interview session. Autism and ADHD evaluations generally involve one interview; AuDHD (combined) evaluations involve two.

    Results Exploration and Feedback Session (1 hour). Scheduled two weeks after the interview session(s).

    Diagnostic Findings Report. Completed within two to four weeks after the final session. Please allow four to eight weeks when purchasing a Comprehensive Report.

  • After your free consultation, you’ll reserve your evaluation with a $400 deposit and schedule your Evaluation-planning session (30min). You’ll have time to review and sign the policies and consents and complete your intake forms and questionnaires before we meet. During the planning session, we’ll discuss what you hope to get from the evaluation, decide what other information would be useful, and schedule your remaining appointments together. The clinical evaluation sessions are typically scheduled one week apart.

    Neurodevelopmental Evaluation sessions (2-5 hours). We reserve two hours for each neurodevelopmental interview session. Autism and ADHD evaluations generally involve one interview; AuDHD (combined) evaluations involve two.

    Psychiatric Differential Evaluation (1.5-2 hours)

    Results Exploration and Feedback Session (1 hour). Scheduled two weeks after the interview session(s).

    Diagnostic Findings Report. Completed within two to four weeks after the final session. Please allow four to eight weeks when purchasing a Comprehensive Report.

  • School records, prior evaluations, or other documentation from childhood can be helpful, but they are typically not required. A thorough developmental interview and clinical evaluation can often gather the information needed. If IAP determines that additional records would help clarify developmental history or prior diagnoses, this will be discussed with you.

  • A collateral interview with a family member, partner, or another person who knows you well is recommended. Their perspective can help clarify your developmental history, current functioning, or diagnostic questions. However, a collateral interview is not required.

    Information from someone who knows you well may also be gathered through questionnaires, available records, or a combination of these sources.

    We will discuss whether to include a collateral interview in your evaluation. If you choose to include one, we will obtain your written authorization before contacting anyone.

    Because a collateral interview is not required for every evaluation, it is billed separately rather than included in the standard evaluation options. This keeps the standard evaluation price lower for clients who do not include one. The $250 collateral-interview service fee covers individualized preparation and coordination, an interview lasting up to 60 minutes, documentation, and integration of the information into your evaluation.

  • An evaluation does not guarantee a specific diagnosis.

    Not every evaluation results in an autism, ADHD, or AuDHD diagnosis. If diagnostic criteria are not met, the assessment process can still help clarify what may be contributing to your experiences and offer a more complete understanding of how you move through the world.

    Recommendations are based on the findings from your evaluation and may include resources, supports, treatment options, or referrals.

Neurotype-Informed Psychiatric Care

  • Yes. Inner Awareness Psychiatry offers neurotype-informed medication management as part of continuing psychiatric care for ADHD, autistic, and AuDHD adults.

    Some patients continue care after completing an autism, ADHD, or AuDHD evaluation through Inner Awareness Psychiatry, but a neurodevelopmental evaluation through the practice is not required.

    Medication management is provided within a broader psychiatric care model that may also include supportive psychotherapy, executive-functioning support, psychoeducation, and practical strategies to support quality of life and day-to-day functioning.

    *Inner Awareness Psychiatry does not prescribe benzodiazepines for ongoing use.

  • Neurotype-informed psychiatric care at Inner Awareness Psychiatry is designed for ADHD, autistic, and AuDHD adults. A formal diagnosis is not required. Adults who identify with these neurotypes based on longstanding patterns, personal research, prior clinical feedback, or family history are welcome to submit a service request.

    The practice is best suited for adults seeking thoughtful, collaborative outpatient care focused on medication, functioning, quality of life, and a deeper understanding of how neurotype, health, environment, and daily demands interact.

    Inner Awareness Psychiatry may NOT be the right fit if you need more than about one visit a month, contact between visits, urgent or same-week access, active coordination with a treatment team, or a provider who is reachable outside of scheduled appointments.

  • Symptoms are not attributed to a diagnosis based only on how they appear externally. Their timing, course, triggers, context, internal experience, and what makes them better or worse are also considered.

    For example, low energy, withdrawal, reduced functioning, and difficulty initiating tasks may occur with depression, but they may also be related to autistic burnout, sensory overload, masking fatigue, executive-functioning difficulties, disrupted sleep, environmental demands, or a combination of factors.

    Anxiety may be generalized, or it may be connected to unpredictability, sensory demands, social uncertainty, communication difficulties, trauma, or repeated negative experiences.

    These possibilities are explored by looking at when the difficulties began, whether they are longstanding or episodic, what was happening when they worsened, and whether they change when demands, environment, accommodations, or support change. More than one condition or contributing factor may be present.

  • Begin by completing the brief service request form. Each request is personally reviewed to make sure the care model aligns with your needs and goals.

    Next, you will receive a link to schedule an intake appointment—your initial psychiatric evaluation and treatment-planning session.

    After the appointment is scheduled, you will receive an email with consent and intake forms, along with an invitation to access the secure patient portal.

  • Current medications are reviewed during the initial psychiatric evaluation, including what has been helpful, any side effects or concerns, previous treatment responses, current functioning, and treatment goals.

    If a medication is helping and there are no significant concerns, it may be continued. If a change is worth considering, the reasons, options, and pace of that change will be discussed collaboratively.

    Inner Awareness Psychiatry does not provide ongoing or long-term benzodiazepine prescribing. Short-term or situational use may be considered when clinically appropriate.

  • The initial psychiatric evaluation is an intake appointment scheduled for 90 minutes, allowing time to look beyond a brief symptom review and understand the broader picture.

    The appointment includes a detailed review of psychiatric and general health history, current symptoms and concerns, diagnostic considerations, medication history, previous treatment responses, daily functioning, and treatment goals. Information from the intake materials is discussed in greater depth, including how neurotype, health, environment, stress, and day-to-day demands may be affecting current functioning.

    By the end of the appointment, an initial treatment plan is developed. This may include medication recommendations, a clearer understanding of what may be contributing to current difficulties, practical strategies or supports, and a plan for follow-up care.

  • Follow-up appointments are often scheduled every four weeks at first while the treatment plan is being developed and refined. Timing may change over time based on medication monitoring, current concerns, treatment goals, and how much ongoing support is useful.

    Standard follow-up appointments often work well for medication management, reviewing symptoms and functioning, monitoring side effects, and discussing current concerns.

    Longer appointments may be a good fit for adults who benefit from more time to explore executive functioning, burnout, relationships, work, masking, self-understanding, or other concerns that may not fit comfortably into a standard follow-up visit. These appointments may also include supportive psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and practical strategies tailored to the person’s goals.

    For a detailed list of follow-up options and fees, see the Neurotype-Informed Psychiatric Care & Medication Support Services & Fees page.

Evaluation Documentation & Reports

  • All neurodevelopmental evaluations include:

    • Diagnostic Findings Report — the diagnoses supported by the evaluation, the criteria met, the reasoning behind them, and brief recommendations.

    • Resources for neurodivergent adults

  • Diagnostic Findings Report — the diagnoses supported by the evaluation, the criteria met, the reasoning behind them, and brief recommendations.

    Comprehensive Report — everything in the Diagnostic Findings Report, plus detailed assessment results, strengths and challenges, personalized recommendations.

    Written reports are completed separately after the evaluation appointments.

  • Often, yes—but requirements vary depending on the school, employer, or other organization requesting the documentation.

    Many universities accept a diagnostic verification letter confirming the diagnosis. Some schools and workplaces may request additional documentation describing functional impacts or recommended supports.

    If more detailed documentation is required—for example, a letter outlining specific accommodation recommendations—IAP can usually provide it as an additional service.

    Because requirements vary widely, individuals seeking accommodations should check directly with their school, employer, or disability services office to determine what documentation is required.

  • A diagnosis identifies a condition. A disability determination decides whether a person qualifies under a particular program’s rules. They are related, but they answer different questions and serve different purposes.

    A diagnosis is made by a clinician using established criteria. For autism and ADHD, traits alone are not enough; they must meaningfully affect functioning in one or more areas of life. That does not automatically determine whether someone is disabled under a particular program’s definition.

    Disability is also personal and contextual. Some autistic and ADHD adults experience their neurotype as disabling, some do not, and for many it depends on their environment, the demands being made of them, and the support available. A diagnosis does not settle how someone understands that experience.

    In the administrative sense, disability programs assess functional limitations under their own rules. They may consider records over time, work history, required forms, and additional evaluations. A diagnosis is one piece of evidence within that process, not the deciding one.

  • Sometimes, depending on the program.

    IAP evaluations are not intended for Social Security disability determinations, legal proceedings, or forensic assessment.

    Requirements vary by program, and IAP does not advise on disability applications. Anyone considering an application for disability benefits should contact the program directly and ask what documentation it requires and which professionals are qualified to provide it. More extensive testing does not necessarily carry more weight.

    Benefits and support services are different systems with different requirements. In Oregon, questions about developmental disability services should be directed to your local Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP), which determines eligibility and assists with the application process.

    For school or workplace accommodations, see the question above.

Insurance & Privacy

  • No. IAP is not contracted with insurance companies and does not bill insurance directly. Evaluations are private-pay services, meaning fees are paid directly to the practice.

    If your insurance plan includes out-of-network benefits, you may choose to submit a superbill to your insurance company to request possible reimbursement. IAP cannot guarantee reimbursement.

  • A superbill is a detailed receipt that includes the information insurance companies use to process out-of-network reimbursement requests, such as service dates, fees, diagnosis codes, and billing codes.

    IAP does not bill insurance directly. If you would like to seek possible reimbursement, a superbill can be provided after services are completed for you to submit to your insurance company.

    Reimbursement varies by insurance plan. Some plans reimburse part of the fee for out-of-network mental health services, while others do not reimburse for autism or AuDHD evaluations.

    Before scheduling, you may want to ask your insurance company:

    • Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?

    • Are adult autism or AuDHD evaluations eligible for reimbursement?

    • What percentage of the fee may be reimbursed?

    • Do I need preauthorization?

    IAP cannot guarantee reimbursement from insurance companies.

  • Some individuals choose private-pay neurodevelopmental evaluation or psychiatric care because they want more privacy and control over how their diagnostic and treatment information is used.

    Inner Awareness Psychiatry does not bill insurance directly or routinely report diagnostic or treatment information to insurance companies. Autism diagnoses are not reported to government registries. When services are billed to insurance, diagnosis, treatment, and billing information may become part of insurance and broader healthcare record systems.

    Information related to neurodevelopmental evaluation and psychiatric care—including diagnoses, medications, treatment recommendations, symptoms, and progress—is maintained as part of your confidential health record within Inner Awareness Psychiatry’s electronic health record system.

    Evaluation reports are provided directly to you. You decide if and when to share documentation with others, such as a school, employer, therapist, medical provider, or family member.

    Your information is protected under HIPAA and other applicable privacy laws. It is not shared outside the practice without your authorization except when disclosure is permitted or required by law.

    Private-pay care can also allow more flexibility because the structure, length, and focus of evaluation and continuing psychiatric care are not dictated by insurance billing requirements.

Location & Availability

  • Inner Awareness Psychiatry is based in Bend, Oregon, and provides services to adults throughout the state via secure telehealth.