Diagnosed as an adult: where to start

Most public conversation about autism and ADHD assessment centres on children, which can make it hard to tell where an adult even starts. The honest answer: the same professionals — a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist — assess adults too, using tools adapted for adult presentation rather than childhood milestones.

A private clinical psychologist is usually the fastest route, since government screening infrastructure like DEIC is built around the 0–18 age range. The resulting report carries the same weight for workplace accommodations and UDID applications as a childhood diagnosis would.

Adult assessment is a newer, less standardised space in India than pediatric assessment — it's reasonable to ask a prospective professional directly whether they specifically assess adults before booking.