I think I might be neurodivergent. Are there any screening quizzes that I can take online?
I would recommend visiting this page if you think you may be neurodivergent. This is especially suitable if you think you might be autistic, although it also has screening tests for ADHD and some mental illnesses.
Rationale:
- I would recommend this website because the psychometric tests are free, no sign up is required, and there are limited trackers on their website.
- Their website and business is run by autistic people, for autistic people. As the name Embrace Autism suggests, they frame neurodiversity as a gift rather than as a deficit.
- I have no affiliation with them, I just found their website helpful to me when I was first learning about my neurodivergence. Although I do recommend this website for free resources, at this time I would not recommend them for someone seeking an autism assessment. I considered pursuing an autism assessment with them, but decided against it for reasons discussed in the section “What credentials should a neurodivergence assessor have?”.
Do I need to get an official diagnosis?
No, self-realization and professional diagnosis are both valid.
I want to get a diagnosis. What credentials should I look for in an assessor?
In response to this, I would recommend that you consider why you are considering getting a diagnosis. Depending on your answer to this, the credentials that you seek in an assessor could vary. I don’t think that there is an objectively right answer, but there may be more preferable assessors depending on your particular situation.
If you would like to get certain specific benefits from an institution, the credentials of your assessor might matter.
In general, autism assessments are considered valid by formal institutions if they are conducted by people with very specific professional qualifications. The qualifications required by an institution to recognize an autism diagnosis my vary. However, stricter institutions might only honour a diagnosis done by a psychiatrist or psychologist with a specialization in autism.
If there are any specific institutions that you plan to share your diagnosis with – either in the present or future – to get support, I would recommend that you verify that the credentials your assessor has are sufficient for those purposes.