Abstract
This chapter examines the factors that bring a previously undiagnosed adult to wonder whether he might be autistic and to undergo an evaluation by a qualified diagnostician. The main tools used by professionals for an initial screening of spectrum symptoms, as well as for in-depth diagnosis, are identified according to the criteria of the American Psychiatric Diagnostic Manual (DSM-5). Finally, the unique challenges of diagnosing autism in adulthood are presented. Adults with higher intellectual functioning often adopt effective coping strategies that make it difficult to accurately identify autism symptoms. Given the complexity of diagnosing HFA in adulthood and the lack of “sensitive” diagnostic tools, it is important for future studies to develop new tools.
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Rubinstein, K. (2019). Psychological Diagnosis of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In: Lowinger, S., Pearlman-Avnion, S. (eds) Autism in Adulthood. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28833-4_2
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