IN-PERSON IN HICKORY NC ONLINE ACROSS NC
Women’s ADHD and Autism Assessments
Wondering if it's ADHD, Autism, or both?
You've always felt different, but never quite understood why.
You've studied the social cues, learned the rules, and figured out how to fit in. Yet somehow, you still feel like the outsider in your own friend circle.
You've built an elaborate system of calendars, checklists, and sticky notes. And you still forget what day it is.
You've created a successful life through a combination of giftedness, determination, and sheer grit. But the demands of work, relationships, or motherhood are stretching you beyond what your carefully constructed systems can manage. Especially now that you are entering perimenopause-early!
You're exhausted by how much you notice, how deeply you feel things, and how difficult it can be to shut the world out.
Maybe you've been told it's anxiety, depression, or OCD. Some of those explanations may have made sense, but none seemed to capture the whole picture.
Now you're wondering whether ADHD, autism, or both might help explain the patterns you've been navigating for years.
Does Any of This Feel Familiar?
You love your kids, but their shrills, smells, and messes leave you easily frustrated, even though you know it's all age-appropriate.
You're the one everyone relies on, yet your relationships too often lack reciprocity.
You're highly empathetic and struggle to observe without absorbing the emotions of others and your surroundings.
You shut down when the phone rings and prefer texting because you need time to prepare and rehearse conversations.
You're entering perimenopause, and life feels like it’s collapsing in slow motion. Yet your OB-GYN tells you you're too young.
You’ve been told you're antisocial, too direct, or high strung, yet you feel right at home with your neurodivergent friends who don’t seem to mind.
about me
Hi, I’m Cindy.
I received my own neurodivergent diagnoses in my early 50s. After years of trying to understand why certain things felt harder than they seemed to for others, finally having answers changed how I understood myself and my life.
That experience, along with my professional training, shapes how I approach assessments for women. I know how important it is to feel heard, to have your experiences taken seriously, and to have someone look beyond what appears on the surface.
My goal is to offer a thoughtful, individualized assessment experience that helps you better understand yourself and make sense of your story.
How it works
A Neurodivergence Assessment That Considers the Whole Picture.
Let's connect the dots and make sense of your story.
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Share your history and experiences through secure online forms and assessment measures so I can thoughtfully prepare for our interview.
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We'll meet for two hours to explore your experiences, discuss patterns, and gain a fuller understanding of your story.
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You'll receive a personalized report with your assessment findings, any supported diagnoses, and recommendations for moving forward.
faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. North Carolina Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are authorized to diagnose mental and emotional disorders within their scope of practice and professional competence. This can include ADHD, autism, or both when supported by the clinician's training and assessment findings.
You can read more about this authority in the North Carolina Social Work Practice Act.
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Select Schedule My ADHD/Autism Assessment, complete the brief form, and pay your $500 deposit toward the total $1,495 fee.
You'll receive a secure link to set up your client chart, complete your intake forms and assessment measures, and place a card on file.
Once everything is complete, we'll schedule your virtual clinical interview. At that time, the remaining $995 will be charged to your card on file.
Scheduling your interview separately allows time for me to review your chart, score your measures, and thoughtfully prepare for our time together.
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Many adults, especially women, seek an autism diagnosis after years of wondering why things felt different or harder.
Women are often diagnosed later in life than men:
Average delay: Studies show women are diagnosed, on average, anywhere from nearly 1 year to 3.4 years later than men. 1,
Adulthood and adolescence: A large percentage of autistic females go undiagnosed during childhood, with estimates suggesting that nearly 80% of autistic girls are missed by age 18. [1, 2]
Convergence by adulthood: Long-term population studies (such as data from Sweden and the CDC) show that while boys are diagnosed at much higher rates in early childhood, cumulative diagnosis rates between males and women begin to equalize by late adolescence and age 20. [1]
Why the Delay Happens
Masking and Camouflaging: Autistic women and girls are statistically more likely to mimic social behavior, copy facial expressions, and develop strategies to hide or compensate for social communication challenges. [1, 2, 3]
Different Presentation: Historical diagnostic criteria were built largely around how autism presents in boys. Female traits may involve different restricted interests or subtler social difficulties. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Diagnostic Overshadowing: Healthcare providers often misattribute signs of autism in women to other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or ADHD, rather than recognizing the underlying neurodevelopmental difference. [1, 2, 3]
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If you need documentation for accommodations (work, school, etc.), this assessment gives a formal diagnostic report usually accepted there. Many women also get assessed for personal clarity. Both reasons are valid — here you don’t have to justify why you’re seeking diagnostic clarity.
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It’s normal to feel disappointed, frustrated, or confused if your time and money didn’t give the clear diagnosis you hoped for. Our aim is to give clear next steps, which will be included in your report. Assessments done here or elsewhere can’t promise a specific diagnosis. Results may show ADHD, autism, both, neither, another cause, or that more testing (psychological, psychiatric, or medical) is needed. If more testing is recommended, the report will say what types of providers to contact.
Questions after the report? Message us through your portal for secure communication.
If Cindy Lineberger, LCSW, determines a detailed follow-up is needed, you may schedule a 50-minute Post-Assessment virtual appointment for $250.
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I am a self pay pracitce to ensure I’m able to best work with you and not for insurance. I am not in any network nor EAP plan and do not file claims.
Women deserve specialized diagnostic clarity.