Autism Evaluation
Getting an accurate autism diagnosis can be life-changing. Not because it changes who you are, but because it finally explains why certain things have always been harder, and opens doors to support that actually fits. At Clary Clinic, we provide comprehensive autism evaluations for children and adults, including those whose presentations were missed or misunderstood in previous evaluations.
If you've wondered whether autism might be part of your story, or your child's, we're glad you're here.
Who This Evaluation Is For
Children and adolescents whose parents, teachers, or providers have noticed social, communication, or behavioral differences that haven't been fully explained by other diagnoses, or who received an inconclusive evaluation elsewhere.
Adults who are seeking answers for the first time, often after years of feeling different without knowing why. Many adults come to us after a family member's diagnosis prompted their own reflection, or after recognizing themselves in something they read.
People with subtle or atypical presentations, including women, girls, and individuals who have developed strong masking strategies that can make autism harder to identify through standard assessment approaches.
No referral is required. You can contact us directly to schedule.
What the Evaluation Includes
Autism evaluation at Clary Clinic is comprehensive. Because autism affects multiple domains of functioning and frequently co-occurs with ADHD, anxiety, and learning differences, a thorough evaluation looks at the full picture:
Diagnostic interview: detailed developmental and personal history, gathered from the individual and, where available, from family members or caregivers
Cognitive and neuropsychological testing: assessment of intellectual functioning, language, memory, attention, and executive functioning
Autism-specific assessment: including the MIGDAS-2, a naturalistic, conversation-based tool that is particularly well-suited for individuals with subtle presentations or strong compensatory strategies
Rating scales and collateral input: standardized questionnaires from multiple informants to capture how functioning shows up across different settings
A comprehensive written report follows, including diagnostic impressions, a summary of strengths and challenges, and recommendations for support, accommodations, or further services.
Why Comprehensive Evaluation Matters
Autism doesn't look the same in every person. A checklist-based screening or a brief clinical interview can miss presentations that don't fit the classic profile, particularly in individuals who have learned to mask their differences, or who present with strong verbal skills alongside significant social or sensory challenges.
A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation examines multiple domains, which means it can identify autism when it's present, rule it out when it isn't, and clarify the full diagnostic picture when multiple factors are at play.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've already had an evaluation that came back inconclusive. Should I try again? Yes. If you felt the previous evaluation didn't capture the full picture, a comprehensive evaluation using different tools may yield a clearer answer. This is particularly common for adults and for women and girls, whose presentations are frequently missed by older assessment methods.
Do you evaluate for autism in older adults? Yes. We see patients across the lifespan, including older adults seeking a first-time evaluation.
Can an autism diagnosis help with accommodations at school or work? A formal diagnosis from a licensed neuropsychologist can support requests for academic accommodations, workplace accommodations under the ADA, and access to community services. The report will include specific recommendations.
Will you also assess for ADHD or other conditions? Because this is a comprehensive evaluation, co-occurring conditions that emerge during testing will be addressed in the report. If the referral question is specifically ADHD, our targeted ADHD evaluation may be a better fit.
How long does the evaluation take? Testing is typically completed in a single full-day appointment. Reports are delivered within 4 weeks.
Ready to take the next step? Call us at 320-247-4068 to speak with our clinic director and find out if a comprehensive autism evaluation is the right fit.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person processes the world, socially, sensorially, cognitively, and emotionally. No two autistic people present the same way, and that variability is exactly what makes autism both fascinating and frequently misunderstood.
Some people come to us already carrying a working theory about themselves or their child. Others arrive after years of evaluations that identified anxiety, ADHD, or depression, but left a lingering sense that something else was going on underneath. Autism evaluation is often the piece that finally makes the whole picture make sense.
What an autism evaluation looks at
At Clary Clinic, we use the MIGDAS-2 (Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum) as part of our autism evaluation process. Unlike many standard diagnostic tools, the MIGDAS-2 was designed to capture the full range of autism presentations, including the subtler, more internalized profiles that are frequently missed in women, girls, and adults who have spent years learning to mask.
A neuropsychological evaluation for autism goes well beyond a symptom checklist. We examine:
Social communication and interaction patterns across different settings and relationships
Sensory sensitivities and how they affect daily functioning
Repetitive behaviors, routines, and inflexible thinking, including subtle presentations that don't look "classic"
Executive functioning, attention, and cognitive profile
Emotional regulation and co-occurring conditions like anxiety or ADHD
Developmental history, what things looked like at different ages, not just right now
This comprehensive approach matters because autism rarely travels alone. Many autistic people also have ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, or depression. Understanding the full picture is what allows us to make meaningful, useful recommendations, not just a diagnosis label.
A note on the female phenotype
Autism has historically been studied and diagnosed primarily in males. As a result, the clinical picture most people recognize, and that most diagnostic tools were built to detect, reflects how autism tends to present in boys and men. Girls, women, and female-presenting individuals often look quite different: more socially motivated, more skilled at masking, and more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression before autism is ever considered.
Who we evaluate for autism
We see patients across the full lifespan, from early childhood/ school-age children through older adults. There is no age at which an autism evaluation stops being worthwhile. Many of the adults we evaluate are seeking answers for the first time in their 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond.
No referral is required to get started.