Questions you may be asked in an adult autism assessment

How the questions work

There are two kinds of questions in most assessments. The first is the clinical interview, a conversation where the clinician asks open questions and follows up on your answers. The second is standardized questionnaires and structured instruments, which have fixed wording and scoring. The examples on this page are the kind of open interview questions clinicians commonly ask, written in our own words. We do not reproduce the items of licensed instruments.

Opening questions: why now?

Most interviews begin with the reason you are here. Expect questions such as what made you seek an assessment, who first suggested autism, what you hope to gain, and whether anything has changed recently, like a new job, a breakup, becoming a parent, or a period of exhaustion. Answer plainly. There is no wrong reason to want to understand yourself, and the clinician uses this to focus the rest of the interview.

Childhood and development

Because autism is present from early development, expect questions about your first years and school days, for example:

• What were you like as a young child? What did you enjoy playing with, and did you play alone or with others?
• How did you get on with other children at primary school? Did you have a best friend?
• Were there sounds, foods, clothes or places that upset you more than they seemed to upset others?
• How did you handle changes such as a new teacher, moving house or holidays?
• Did teachers or family ever comment on your behavior, your interests or your way of speaking?

Social life and friendships

• How do you make and keep friends now? How many close friends do you have?
• How do you feel before, during and after social events?
• Do you find it easy to tell when someone is joking, bored or annoyed?
• How do you manage small talk, group conversations and phone calls?
• Have you ever felt you were copying other people to fit in?

Communication

• Do people ever take your words as rude or blunt when you did not mean them that way?
• Do you prefer to communicate in writing, in person, or another way?
• How do you know when it is your turn to talk?
• Do you find figures of speech or vague instructions confusing?

Routines, interests and change

• What do you like to spend your free time on, and how deeply do you get into it?
• Do you have routines that matter to you? What happens if they are disrupted?
• How do you react to last minute changes in plans at work or home?
• Are there movements or habits that help you feel calm, such as rocking, pacing or tapping?

Sensory experiences

• Are you sensitive to noise, light, smells, textures or temperature?
• Do you seek out certain sensations, such as deep pressure or particular sounds?
• How do you cope in supermarkets, open-plan offices or public transport?
• Do you notice hunger, thirst, pain or tiredness at the same time other people seem to?

Work, daily life and emotions

• What has work or study been like for you? What made jobs easier or harder?
• How do you manage household tasks, money and appointments?
• How do you recognize and describe your emotions?
• What happens when you become overwhelmed?
• Have you had other mental health diagnoses, and did treatment help?

About the questionnaires

Standardized questionnaires used in assessments are licensed tools with fixed wording and scoring, and they should only be completed as given by your clinician. Some ask you to rate how much statements apply to you; others are completed by a family member. They support clinical judgment but never decide the outcome alone.

How to give useful answers

• Use specific stories. Instead of saying you dislike noise, describe leaving a restaurant because the clatter of plates made it impossible to follow the conversation.
• Describe the effort as well as the outcome. If you manage meetings but need an hour alone afterward, say so.
• Answer for a typical day, not your best day.
• It is fine to say you do not know or do not remember.
• If a question is unclear, ask for clarification.

Questions you can ask the clinician

An assessment is a two way conversation. It is reasonable to ask how the outcome will be decided, which measures they are using and why, whether ADHD or anxiety will also be considered, when you will get the report, and what support or follow-up is available afterward. Writing these down in advance means you will not forget them at the end of a long session.