Adult ADHD and Autism Evaluation

Windy City Neuropsychology provides diagnostic evaluations for adults whose attention, executive function, or social and communication patterns raise questions about ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or both.
Dr. Michael Wilson conducts every evaluation personally, from intake through written report.
The office is located at 4747 West Peterson Avenue on Chicago’s northwest side, with availability across the city and the north suburbs.

The practice is currently accepting new patients with no waitlist.
First evaluations are typically scheduled within two to three weeks.

Who These Evaluations Are For

Many adults reach midlife having struggled with attention, organization, time management, social and communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, or chronic emotional dysregulation, without ever having had those struggles named. Diagnostic frameworks for both ADHD and autism have changed substantially over the past two decades, and entire generations of adults, particularly women, were missed by earlier criteria. A formal adult evaluation can clarify whether ADHD, autism, or both are present, and can rule them out when the actual issue turns out to be something else, including anxiety, depression, sleep dysregulation, learning differences, or trauma-related symptoms.

Common reasons adults pursue an evaluation:

Long-standing difficulty with focus, organization, or follow-through that has limited career or academic progress
Recognizing oneself in a description of ADHD or autism in adulthood
A child’s recent diagnosis prompting the parent to look at their own history
Workplace or graduate school accommodations that require formal documentation
Failed prior treatment for what was assumed to be anxiety or depression
Wanting an objective second opinion after a brief diagnostic appointment elsewhere

What an Evaluation Involves

Adult diagnostic evaluations typically include:

Clinical interview. A detailed conversation about current concerns, developmental history, school history, work history, relationships, mental health history, and family history. For autism evaluations, this includes structured exploration of social communication, sensory experiences, special interests, and patterns of routine and flexibility across the lifespan.

Standardized cognitive testing. Measures of attention, working memory, processing speed, executive function, and other cognitive domains relevant to ADHD. Cognitive testing is also useful for ruling in or out learning differences and other conditions that can co-occur with or mimic ADHD.

Self-report and informant rating scales. Structured questionnaires completed by the patient, and ideally by a parent, partner, or other long-time observer who can provide perspective on long-standing patterns.

Specialized autism assessment when indicated. For adults pursuing autism evaluation specifically, additional structured measures are used, including instruments designed and normed for adults rather than children.

Mood, anxiety, and trauma screening. Brief structured measures to identify other conditions that may explain the symptoms, contribute to them, or co-occur.

Feedback and written report. A face-to-face feedback session to review findings, and a detailed written report that includes the diagnostic conclusion, the reasoning behind it, and specific recommendations.

ADHD Evaluation

Adult ADHD is real, common, and frequently missed. It is also frequently over-diagnosed in brief appointments where a person’s complaints are taken at face value without careful differential diagnosis. A thorough evaluation answers three questions: 1. Is the pattern consistent with ADHD, including the requirement that symptoms began in childhood and have been present across settings? 2. If yes, what subtype, and what are the specific functional consequences? 3. Are there other conditions present, including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, learning disabilities, sleep disorders, or substance use, that are contributing to the picture and that need their own treatment? A useful ADHD evaluation produces a clear diagnostic answer, a specific recommendation about treatment options including medication and behavioral approaches, and concrete documentation that can be used to request workplace or academic accommodations.

Autism Evaluation in Adults

Autism in adults often presents differently than the classic childhood picture. Many adults seeking evaluation have spent decades developing compensatory strategies, social masking, and adaptive routines that allowed them to function while leaving the underlying patterns unrecognized. A useful adult autism evaluation looks beneath those compensations. The evaluation considers the full developmental and functional picture, including childhood social and communication patterns, sensory experiences, special interests, cognitive and learning patterns, and the specific ways that autistic features may have shaped a person’s adult life. It also takes seriously the high rates of co-occurring ADHD, anxiety, depression, and trauma in autistic adults, and addresses them in the formulation rather than confusing them with the underlying picture.