Am I Autistic?
Self-Identification Educational Group
Have you ever felt like you’ve spent your whole life pretending, pushing through, and wondering why adulthood feels harder than it should? You’re overwhelmed, exhausted, and constantly wondering if you’re the problem. But what if the real issue is that the world wasn’t designed for your brain?
Signs You May Be an Undiagnosed Autistic Adult:
✅ Constantly exhausted from masking and social burnout
✅ Struggling with executive dysfunction, decision fatigue, and emotional overwhelm
✅ Feeling like you missed some secret handbook on "how to adult"
✅ Sensory sensitivities making everyday life harder than it should be
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You may be part of a growing wave of late-diagnosed neurodivergent millennials who were overlooked. Understanding your brain could be the key to finally feeling at home in your own life. Let’s get you the clarity you deserve.
This 4 week virtual group will answer many of your questions about what autism is, what autistic traits are, and whether or not you are autistic. It will be limited to a maximum of 12 participants. This group is for adults (18 and older). It is not a therapy group or a substitute for individual therapy.
Who is running it?
This group is guided by a clinical psychotherapist with lived experience as an Autistic and ADHD cis woman, who has over 15 years of experience in the field. She has also spent considerable time researching and creating content for education around late-diagnosed adult autism.
When is it?
Each weekly session will happen on Mondays from 10am-12pm on Zoom. The sessions are 2 hours at a time. The dates for the next group will be: 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, and 12/22. If you apply to the group, we ask that you commit to attending all four sessions.
There is an optional extra meeting on 12/4 from 10am-11:30pm for folks who would like to "body double" or need assistance to complete some of their assessments.
How much does it cost?
Each 2 hour session is $150 ($600 for the entirety of the group.) You will be sent an invoice as soon as you register for the 4 sessions of the group, and are asked to pay within 24 hours of receiving it to secure your spot. There are no refunds.
I HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF NO-COST SPOTS FOR TRANS AND NON-BINARY FOLKS, PLEASE EMAIL ME TO INQUIRE!
What is expected of participants?
There will be screening tools and assessments for you to fill out (which will be sent to you virtually when you are confirmed into the group.) These can be completed any time between your acceptance into the group and the first meeting. Group participants are expected to be respectful of others' identities and experiences. Discussion and questions are encouraged but not required; typed or verbal communication is encouraged during open conversation times. You do not have to disclose your screening and assessment tool scores to other attendees. It is expected that you will attend all sessions (aside from the co-working optional session.) Joining via video is encouraged but not required. We ask that participants are fully clothed and behaviors are considered "safe for work" during the group meetings.
What's the difference between self-identifying as autistic and being diagnosed as autistic?
Medical systems have put up many barriers for individuals seeking clarity around whether they are or aren't autistic. Often you have to wait for many months (if not years) and spend thousands of dollars- this is particularly true for adults, as most insurances do not cover autism evaluations for adults.
At the end of this group, you will likely know whether or not you are autistic. There are pros and cons to being diagnosed as autistic, as well as self-identifying as autistic, which we will discuss in group, but the insight from this group may lead you to seek a diagnosis. People who tend to seek a medical diagnosis are people who would benefit from school/college accommodations and have no other qualifying diagnoses, are on or applying for Disability funds, or have other services they would like to access but need this specific diagnosis. Generally, individuals feel confident self-identifying after working with a skilled facilitator with lived experience.
What's the difference between self-identifying as autistic and being diagnosed as autistic?
Medical systems have put up many barriers for individuals seeking clarity around whether they are or aren't autistic. Often you have to wait for many months (if not years) and spend thousands of dollars- this is particularly true for adults, as most insurances do not cover autism evaluations for adults.
At the end of this group, you will likely know whether or not you are autistic. There are pros and cons to being diagnosed as autistic, as well as self-identifying as autistic, which we will discuss in group, but the insight from this group may lead you to seek a diagnosis. People who tend to seek a medical diagnosis are people who would benefit from school/college accommodations and have no other qualifying diagnoses, are on or applying for Disability funds, or have other services they would like to access but need this specific diagnosis. Generally, individuals feel confident self-identifying after working with a skilled facilitator with lived experience.
Do I become a therapy client of Crystal's by attending this group?
No, this is not a therapy group or individual therapy; this is a time-limited educational group. Current or previous clients of Crystal's can enroll in this group. Attending this group does not prevent you from working with Crystal.
PLEASE NOTE: this group is psychoeducational and NOT therapeutic and will NOT be documented through my EHR [electronic health records], Simple Practice.
Tentative Weekly Agenda
The content of the final two weeks of the group is flexible, based on the needs of the attendees, but here is a rough outline of what we hope to cover...
Week 1
12/2/25
Introduction, explaining the screening tools, What Is Autism?, strengths-based DSM criteria, group goals, answering group questions, the validity of self-ID, etc.
Week 1.5
12/4/25
This is an optional meeting- if you need support completing the screening and assessment tools, please join us. Some people prefer to have others around while they complete tasks ("body doubling"), others may have questions about the tools they've already started to complete. All are welcome.
Week 2
12/9/25
Reviewing scores on the screening and assessment tools, discussing the meaning and the impact on one's life, etc. (If you completed your screening and assessment tools by the due date, you will have your scores by this week.) We will decided what to cover next session.
Week 3
12/16/25
We may discuss helpful accommodations for autistic folks, in-depth review of commonly selected sensory processing needs, how to tell others you're autistic, etc. Dependent on participants' interests and needs.
Week 4
12/22/25
Wrap up with any final questions (including the pros & cons of medical diagnosis if we have not yet covered this) and discuss additional resources and next steps.
Ready to enroll?
Please click the button below to express your interest and to give your consent to participate.
Can't join us this time?
Keep an eye on this page for future group offerings.
Rather DIY than join us?
Here is information from the UW Autism Center and Embrace Autism to get you started. Best wishes!
Prefer to meet one-on-one for a screener?
Click here to learn more.