Neurodivergence in Adults:

ADHD AND AUTISM SUPPORT OR ASSESSMENT IN MELBOURNE

UNDERSTANDING NEURODIVERGENCE IN ADULTS

Many adults seek therapy or assessment support when they begin to question whether lifelong patterns of thinking, feeling, or functioning may be related to neurodivergence.

This can include traits associated with ADHD, autism, or a combination of both.

For some people, this recognition comes early. For many others, it emerges later in life—often after years of feeling different, misunderstood, overwhelmed, or unable to fully explain their internal experience.

Neurodivergence is not a deficit in who you are.
It reflects differences in how the nervous system processes attention, emotion, sensory input, and social experience.

WHY PEOPLE SEEK SUPPORT

Adults often begin exploring neurodivergence when they notice patterns such as:

  • Difficulty sustaining attention or completing tasks

  • Chronic overwhelm or burnout

  • Emotional intensity or difficulty regulating emotions

  • Sensory sensitivities (sound, light, texture, stimulation)

  • Feeling socially “different” or needing to mask

  • A long history of misunderstanding or misdiagnosis

  • Cycles of high functioning followed by shutdown or exhaustion

  • Persistent feelings of not fitting or not keeping up

These experiences are often interpreted as anxiety, depression, or stress. While these may be present, they do not always fully explain the underlying pattern.

HOW THERAPY CAN HELP:

Therapy is not about changing who you are, but about understanding how your system works and supporting greater internal stability.

In working with neurodivergence, therapy may focus on:

  • Understanding your cognitive and emotional patterns

  • Reducing shame or self-criticism related to past difficulties

  • Identifying burnout cycles and overwhelm triggers

  • Supporting emotional regulation and recovery capacity

  • Exploring identity, masking, and authenticity

  • Developing strategies that align with your nervous system rather than against it

  • ADHD in adulthood is often less about attention itself and more about regulation of executive functioning systems, which include:

    • Initiating tasks

    • Sustaining attention

    • Organising and sequencing actions

    • Managing working memory

    • Regulating emotional responses

    Many adults with ADHD describe a pattern of:

    • Strong intentions, but difficulty following through

    • Feeling overwhelmed by simple tasks

    • Cycles of urgency, avoidance, and self-criticism

    • Emotional reactivity or sensitivity

    • Exhaustion from constant effort to stay on track

    ADHD is not a reflection of intelligence or motivation. It reflects differences in how cognitive and emotional regulation systems coordinate under demand.

  • Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that influences how a person experiences and processes:

    • Social interaction and communication

    • Sensory information

    • Structure, predictability, and change

    • Cognitive and emotional processing styles

    Many autistic adults—particularly those diagnosed later in life—describe a lifelong experience of adapting to environments that did not feel naturally aligned with their internal way of being.

    Common experiences include:

    • Masking or consciously adapting social behaviour

    • Sensory overwhelm or fatigue in busy environments

    • A strong need for routine or predictability

    • Deep focus on specific interests or areas of meaning

    • Emotional shutdown or overload after social interaction

    • Feeling “out of sync” with social expectations

    Late recognition of autism can bring both relief and grief—relief in understanding, and grief for the lack of earlier recognition or support.

  • ADHD and autism frequently co-occur, and many adults resonate with traits of both.

    When they overlap, the experience can include:

    • Combined difficulties with executive functioning and sensory processing

    • Fluctuations between hyperactivity and shutdown states

    • Emotional intensity alongside withdrawal or overwhelm

    • Complex masking strategies that require significant internal effort

    • Difficulty understanding which traits belong to which framework

    Rather than being separate or competing explanations, ADHD and autism can interact to shape a unique neurocognitive profile.

    Understanding this overlap can be an important part of making sense of lifelong patterns.

  • Depending on your needs, support may involve either therapeutic exploration, formal assessment pathways, or both.

    For some people, understanding neurodivergence is a process that unfolds over time within therapy. For others, it may involve structured assessment to clarify diagnosis and support access to appropriate services.

    If you are unsure what is most appropriate, this can be discussed together in initial sessions.

    Sessions are available in Boronia (Eastern suburbs of Melbourne) and online for clients across Australia.

The aim is to support a more sustainable and self-understood way of living.

NEXT STEPS

If you are exploring whether ADHD, autism, or neurodivergence may be part of your experience, you are welcome to get in touch to discuss your situation or book an initial appointment.

WORK WITH ME

“Your ways of thinking, feeling, and responding are not deficits to erase, but patterns to understand and support.”

Neurodivergence Assessment for Adults

ADHD & AUTISM

I offer neurodiversity-affirming psychological assessments for adults exploring ADHD, autism, or combined neurodivergent presentations. Assessment is a collaborative process that explores patterns of attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and social communication. Many adults seeking assessment are not only looking for diagnostic clarity, but also a deeper understanding of how their mind and nervous system work.

Psychological Assessments are available for:

  • ADHD in adults

  • Autism in adults

  • Combined ADHD and autism (AuDHD)

Sessions are available in Boronia (Melbourne) and via Telehealth across Australia.

ASSESSMENT OPTIONS

I recommend assessing for both Autism and ADHD, given the high co-occurrence between these neurotypes. A combined presentation of Autism and ADHD (often referred to as AuDHD) can manifest quite differently than Autism or ADHD alone. Many individuals remain undiagnosed until adulthood because they may not exhibit the typical traits associated with either diagnosis.

For all assessment types, you can choose between two options:

  1. A comprehensive assessment with a summary letter, or

  2. A comprehensive assessment with a detailed report and a feedback session.

If you’re unsure which option best suits your needs, feel free to contact me on 0423080542 or via email at raquel@raquellow.com.au

What to Expect

  • You will be sent an invoice for the assessment, and full payment is required to confirm appointment (minimum 2 weeks prior).​ Once your payment is received, you will be sent forms, intake and online questionnaires to complete. Your assessment session will be approximately 2-3 hours. You are encouraged to have a friend/family member with you, but this is not required. Sometimes informant questionnaires will be sent to a partner/family member/friend if needed for diagnostic clarity (this will be discussed with you prior). If necessary, there may be a short feedback session, and your ​summary letter will be emailed to you within two weeks of assessment session/collating final information (whichever is latest).

  • You will be sent an invoice for the assessment, and 50% payment is required to confirm appointment (minimum 2 weeks prior). Once your payment is received, you will be sent forms, intake and online questionnaires to complete. Your appointment session will be approximately 2-3 hours. You are encouraged to have a friend/family member with you, but this is not required. Sometimes informant questionnaires will be sent to a partner/family member/friend if needed for diagnostic clarity (this will be discussed with you prior). Your feedback session is scheduled 6-8 weeks post assessment session. Your remaining 50% will be payed prior to report writing and feedback session. The feedback session is 50 minutes where we will discuss the findings and report. The report is emailed to you after this feedback session.

Other information

If an autism diagnosis is reached, you can use the assessment report for applying for NDIS along with any other documentation from other allied health/GPs etc, though I cannot guarantee outcome or funding.

If an ADHD diagnosis is reached you will need to see a psychiatrist to discuss eligibility for medication. How much of their own assessment they complete will be up to each individual psychiatrist.

Due to the high co-occurrence of autism and ADHD it is best practice to assess for both as the process is quite similar (and does not add much more to the length or therefore cost of assessment). If you are seeking an ADHD assessment only because you are interested in being prescribed medication if diagnosed, I recommend seeing a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists usually conduct their own assessments before prescribing medication, even if a psychological report is available. This approach may save you time and money. For those who aren’t seeking medication or are unsure, a psychological assessment can lead to increased self-understanding, and we can discuss strategies and accommodations that can support your wellbeing in the context of your neurodivergence.

Assessment Fees

    • Comprehensive report – $2400

    • Summary letter – $1900

    • Comprehensive report – $1900

    • Summary letter – $1400

    • Comprehensive report – $1600

    • Summary letter – $1150

  • Optional Clinical Psychologist review and co-sign available for an additional $600. This is recommended if a goal is to apply for NDIS. A support needs summary will also be completed with you as part of assessment or feedback session and scheduling of Clinical Psychologist review will be discussed with you. 

“WHAT LOOKS LIKE DIFFICULTY IS OFTEN DIFFERENCE MEETING
ENVIRONMENTS THAT WEREN’T DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND.”