UNDERSTAND YOURSELF MORE FULLY
Adult Autism Assessment in Calgary
If you’re wondering whether you might be autistic, an assessment can help you make sense of long-standing experiences and identify support that fits your life. Meet with a registered psychologist in Quarry Park, southeast Calgary.
Registered Psychologist · Quarry Park, SE Calgary · (403) 431-7723 · Direct Billing Available
Looking for an Autism assessment for your child? Explore Autism Assessment for Children→
UNDERSTAND THE EFFORT BEHIND EVERYDAY LIFE
Why Seek an Autism Assessment as an Adult?
You might get through a day of meetings and conversations, then need the evening to yourself. Maybe you’ve always planned what to say in unfamiliar situations, or you’re realizing how much noise and unexpected changes affect your day. Some adults start asking about autism after hearing a late-diagnosed adult describe experiences that feel familiar.
Autism is a developmental difference that can shape how you communicate, connect with others, respond to sensory input, and find comfort or focus in routines and interests. An assessment looks at patterns from your early years through adulthood, including the strategies you’ve developed and what it takes to use them.
Together, we’ll look at whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), what helps you feel and function at your best, and what changes might make daily life easier. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of your strengths and support needs, whatever the assessment finds.
WHEN LIFELONG PATTERNS START TO MAKE SENSE
What Can Autism Look Like in Adults?
These examples may help you put words to experiences you’ve had. In an assessment, I look at how patterns across both areas have shown up over time, how they affect your life, and whether something else could also help explain them.
CATEGORY A
Social communication, connection, and interaction
The rhythm of conversation. You may feel at ease talking in depth with one person and find it harder to tell when to speak or how to join in during a group conversation.
Reading and using social cues. You may prefer people to say what they mean directly. In some settings, you may consciously think about your tone, facial expression, or eye contact while also trying to follow the conversation.
Navigating relationships and expectations. You may enjoy close friendships and still find unwritten rules hard to work out, especially in a new workplace or when expectations change from one setting to another.
CATEGORY B
Repetitive patterns, routines, interests, and sensory experiences
Repetitive movements or speech. You may rock, move your hands, or repeat a sound or phrase, especially when you’re concentrating, excited, or trying to settle.
Predictability and transitions. A familiar routine may make the day easier to manage. An unexpected change, even a welcome one, can take time and energy to adjust to.
Deeply engaging interests. You may spend hours learning about a topic, building a collection, or getting absorbed in a project. These interests can be a source of enjoyment, expertise, and connection.
Sensory differences. Overlapping conversations, fluorescent lighting, or clothing textures may be hard to tune out. Some sensations, such as steady movement or firm pressure, may feel especially grounding.
FROM YOUR FIRST QUESTION TO PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS
What Happens During an Adult Autism Assessment?
Getting Started
Consultation and History
We start with what brought you here and what you hope to understand. At intake, we’ll talk about early experiences and what daily life is like now, including work, studies, relationships, routines, and sensory needs.
If you have earlier records or someone you’d like to involve, we can discuss what would be useful.
Assessment Visits
Individualized Evaluation
The assessment includes cognitive testing, adult questionnaires, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), a structured set of activities that helps me observe social communication and interaction.
On request, I can also complete a structured interview with a parent using the ADI-R. We’ll discuss the assessment plan before booking.
Your Results
Feedback and Written Report
We’ll review the findings together, including whether you meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis and how I reached that conclusion.
We’ll agree in advance on the documentation you need, whether that’s a letter or a fuller written report. We’ll also discuss practical next steps for daily life, work, or post-secondary studies as relevant.
Meet Your Assessor
I’m Kendra Kramer, M.Ed., a Registered Psychologist in southeast Calgary. I work with adults who want to understand experiences they may have been trying to explain for years. I’m interested in what comes naturally to you, which situations take more effort, and what makes life more manageable.
My goal is to explain the findings in a way that feels clear and respectful, then work with you to connect them to the decisions you’re facing in everyday life.
Assessment Fees & What’s Included
Intake & Testing — A clinical interview, background review, cognitive testing, the ADOS-2, and adult questionnaires.
A parent developmental interview (ADI-R) is available on request, as well as academic and/or ADHD testing.
Results & Recommendations — Interpretation, a feedback meeting, and written documentation, either a diagnostic letter or a report.
Follow-Up Support — Consultation by phone or email to help clarify findings and recommendations after your assessment.
Assessment Fee: $1,680-$3,600 — 7 to 15 hours at $240 per hour. The total depends on parent involvement, additional testing, and whether you need a letter or a full report.
Pay as You Go — Payment is made after each appointment, with a same-day receipt provided.
Insurance & Direct Billing — Extended health benefits may cover part of the cost. Direct billing is available for many plans.
View Fees & Insurance.
CALGARY ADULT AUTISM ASSESSMENT
Your Questions, Answered
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Consider what you’d like to understand. You might be looking for context for patterns you’ve noticed for years, trying to understand why work or social life takes so much energy, or wondering what would help you in a particular setting. A consultation gives us time to talk through what an assessment could clarify and whether it fits what you’re looking for.
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You can start by contacting Blue Spruce Psychology directly or booking a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk about why you’re considering assessment and what the process would involve. If you plan to use extended health benefits, ask your insurer whether your plan requires a referral or other documentation.
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An online questionnaire can help you reflect on experiences you’d like to discuss. A formal assessment puts those experiences in context by looking at early development, day-to-day life, direct assessment, and other possible explanations. A questionnaire score alone can’t determine whether you meet the diagnostic criteria.
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Yes. Some adults, including women whose experiences didn’t fit familiar stereotypes, spend years adapting in ways that make their difficulties hard to see. This is often called masking or camouflaging. It might mean rehearsing conversations, mirroring other people’s expressions, or holding back movements that help you settle. You may look comfortable in the moment and still need significant time to recover afterward. Both what others see and what the experience feels like to you matter in an assessment.
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You can start with a consultation. Early development is an important part of the assessment, and there can be more than one way to learn about it. Your own memories, old school reports, or input from a sibling or another person who knew you growing up may help. We’ll discuss what’s available, whom you’d be comfortable involving, and whether the information is sufficient to reach a clear conclusion.
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A report can describe how your needs show up in a particular setting and suggest practical adjustments. Examples might include clearer written instructions or a quieter place to work. If you’re seeking formal accommodations, bring any documentation requirements you’ve been given. Your workplace or institution determines what it needs to consider your request.
Learn about post-secondary assessment and documentation support
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Yes. AuDHD is an informal term for co-occurring autism and ADHD. Some experiences can overlap, and people can also have both. Anxiety or learning difficulties may be part of the picture as well. If you’d like to explore both, ADHD assessment can be added to your autism assessment. It takes two additional hours. We’ll discuss whether assessing both fits what you’re looking for.
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The Autistic Support Network at Autism Calgary offers peer groups for adults who are exploring whether they may be autistic and adults with a diagnosis.
Autism Calgary’s Adult Support team can help you find resources for needs such as housing, life skills, or financial assistance.
The Sinneave Family Foundation’s Futures program offers free, in-person peer support in Calgary for people who identify as autistic or neurodivergent and want to work toward a goal in employment, education, or independent living.
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An adult autism assessment typically takes two to four weeks. At your consultation, we’ll discuss appointment dates and when to expect feedback and your written documentation.
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At Blue Spruce Psychology, an adult autism assessment costs $1,680–$3,600, depending on parent involvement, additional testing (ADHD, academics), and whether you need a letter or a full report. We’ll confirm the expected total before you book.
If you’re using extended health benefits, ask your insurer about your annual maximum, which assessment expenses are eligible, and whether it requires any specific documentation.
You’re welcome to bring questions, a few examples from daily life, or simply a sense that something has felt different for a long time. In a free 15-minute consultation, we can talk through what you’re hoping to understand and whether an assessment would be a helpful next step.
You can also email Kendra or send a message through the contact page.