🧠 Autism in Adulthood: Assessment and Intervention in Panama 🇵🇦

At our Center , we firmly believe in the innate potential of the human brain and in the importance of accompanying each person on their journey of well-being and human development.

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often diagnosed in childhood, its impact and needs extend throughout life, presenting unique challenges and opportunities in adulthood. This article will delve deeper into some of the challenges, assessment methods, and intervention opportunities faced by adults who have already been diagnosed or are seeking a diagnosis.

🔍 The Challenge of Late Diagnosis in Adulthood

Traditionally, most autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses have focused on children. However, with increased awareness and literacy regarding mental health issues, it is becoming common for a growing number of adults to seek specialized autism assessment services.

Some factors that influence the increasing number of adults requesting autism assessments are the following:

🎭 Subtlety of features

Especially in people with a high cognitive profile or in women, the traits may have been more subtle or camouflaged during childhood and adolescence.

📉 Lack of access to assessments

As mentioned earlier, awareness and diagnostic resources for ASD were not as widespread as they are today. This has led to greater accessibility to mental health services compared to years or decades ago.

💼 Difficulties that become evident in adulthood

The demands of adult life (employability, intimate relationships, independence) can expose challenges that were previously manageable or could go unnoticed.

📋 Neuropsychological Assessment of Autism in Adults

Adult assessment seeks to understand the complete neurocognitive and functional profile of the person, beyond the diagnostic label.

Our multidisciplinary approach, respectful of each person's individuality, allows us to use standardized tools adapted to the cultural context, seeking to offer explanations related to each person's strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Some mental health assessment methods and techniques used for the evaluation of autism in adults include:

  • 🗣️ Clinical Interviews: These allow the professional to gather developmental history and needs at the medical, social, educational, or occupational levels. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances of each case, it may be appropriate to consider multi-source interviews, which, along with the help of family members, allows for the collection of information regarding developmental milestones from early stages of neurodevelopment.

  • 🧩 Specific Diagnostic Tools: Adaptations and applications of instruments such as the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale - 2) for adults, which allows observation of social and communication behaviors in a semi-structured context.

  • 👪 Key Informant Interviews: Such as the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) , a semi-structured interview with parents or caregivers that explores developmental history in key areas such as communication, social interaction, and repetitive behavior patterns.

  • 🏠 Adaptive Behavior Assessment: Instruments like the ABAS-II are essential for measuring functional skills in daily life, such as communication, social skills, use of community resources, self-management, and domestic living skills. This is vital for understanding the need for practical supports.

  • 🧠 Intelligence and Neuropsychological Scales: Evaluation of cognitive functions such as intelligence, memory, executive functions (planning, flexibility, inhibitory control), attention, and information processing. This allows for the identification of neurocognitive strengths and areas that require specific support.

  • 🤝 Extensive Neurocognitive Assessments: Sometimes, adults diagnosed with autism may have limited verbal abilities. In these cases, tests adapted to their needs can be administered. Nonverbal intelligence tests such as the TONI-IV (Test of Nonverbal Intelligence) or scales like the DICAE (Cognitive Exploration of People with Intellectual Developmental Disorder and Extensive Support) can be used. The DICAE provides a cognitive profile that allows for recommendations to be made to facilitate and improve their adaptation and functioning in daily life.

💙 Foundations that provide assistance to adults diagnosed with autism

At the foundation level, we have the following in Panama :

✅ Soy Capaz Foundation: This foundation aims to promote the independence of young adults with autism. It also seeks to support families and raise awareness in society so that this population group can be integrated into society, becoming productive and contributing their skills to the benefit of the country.

💡 Neuropsychological Intervention in Adults with ASD

Treatment in adulthood focuses on building individual strengths and developing compensatory strategies for challenging areas, aiming to improve quality of life and independence. Interventions may include:

  1. 💭 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): To manage anxiety, depression, difficulties in emotional regulation, and the identification of irrational thoughts, and to promote communication and social relationships with others. At a scientific level, it is increasingly common to find clinical trials that seek to adapt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to the needs of the adult population with this diagnosis. Studies such as that by Kerns et al. (2016) reinforce the importance of adapting these therapies to the needs and clinical presentation of each client.

  2. 👥 Social Skills Training: Development of strategies for social interaction, understanding non-verbal cues, and relationship management.

  3. 👔 Employability Support: It is essential to strengthen skills for job searching and maintenance, adaptation to the work environment and management of professional interactions.

  4. 🏡 Family Guidance: Supporting families to understand and accompany adults through the various stages and transitions necessary for their appropriate development in society.

📞 Do you need professional help?

If you or a loved one are seeking support in autism assessment or intervention in adulthood, please do not hesitate to contact us.

📲 You can write to us at +507 6535-6362 and we will be happy to respond to your needs.