Evaluating the Acceptability of an Early Adoption of the Tele-ASD Diagnostic Assessment Tool for Adults (TADA)

PURPOSE: Adults seeking autism evaluations are often met with significant barriers, including long wait times, high costs, and a lack of access to providers trained in adult autism assessment. In addition, many of the primary assessment tools in adult autism assessment were developed without the input of autistic adults. To help expand diagnostic options for this population, we developed the novel Tele-ASD Diagnostic Assessment Tool for Adults (TADA). This study sought to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the TADA's content, presentation, and scoring, according to autistic adults and clinicians administering the measure. METHODS: Participants (n = 32, 22 autistic, 10 non-autistic) attended a tele-health appointment where they were administered the TADA by a licensed psychologist who then scored their clinical impressions on whether participants were reporting and exhibiting behaviors consistent with autism. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Both participants and clinicians rated their experience with the TADA favorably and indicated that it would be an acceptable addition to an assessment battery for adults seeking an autism evaluation.