Frequently
Asked Questions

For Therapy:

Traditional therapy approaches, like sitting in a room with a therapist who asks abstract questions about feelings, often don’t work well for many autistic adults and children. At Affirm, therapy takes a flexible, neurodiversity-affirming approach that meets each person where they are.

Dr. Sadikova brings specialized expertise in areas such as autistic burnout, helping distinguish whether someone is experiencing depression, burnout, or another challenge. Similarly, behaviors like stimming, repetitive actions, or compulsions may look like OCD, but treating them as such without understanding autism can be harmful.

Therapy also addresses masking and camouflaging—strategies autistic individuals use to navigate the world, which can lead to exhaustion and burnout. These factors are critical to understanding the whole person, because autism cannot be separated from the individual, and someone who truly understands autism makes all the difference.

For Assessments:

Dr. Sadikova has specialized training to understand the internal experiences of autistic individuals, including masking and camouflaging, and does not rely solely on outward behaviors such as eye contact.

She is skilled in identifying complex trauma, which autistic individuals are unfortunately more vulnerable to, as well as co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD, and borderline personality disorder, all of which can present differently in autism. Misdiagnosis is common and can be harmful, which is why seeing a clinician with extensive training in autism is essential for accurate, nuanced assessment and care.

Being neurodiversity-affirming means recognizing and valuing neurological differences—like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive variations—not as deficits to be “fixed,” but as natural and meaningful forms of human diversity. At Affirm, we integrate the social model of disability into our approach, which emphasizes that challenges often arise not from an individual’s neurology, but from the ways society is structured.

Neurodiversity-affirming care does not mean focusing only on strengths or ignoring challenges. Instead, we acknowledge the difficulties individuals may experience but reframe them in a way that respects their neurodivergence and highlights opportunities for support and growth.

This means we focus on removing barriers, adapting environments, and providing supports that allow each person to thrive on their own terms, rather than trying to make them fit a neurotypical mold. In practice, this looks like therapy and assessments that honor the individual’s experiences, respect their communication style, and incorporate strategies to reduce stress, burnout, and the pressures of masking or camouflaging.

Being neurodiversity-affirming is about seeing the person first, understanding their unique strengths and challenges, and creating care that helps them navigate the world authentically and successfully.

Affirm is affirming in both philosophy and practice. At its core, we embrace a neurodiversity-affirming approach, recognizing that neurological differences—such as autism, ADHD, and other cognitive variations—are natural and valuable forms of human diversity.

We integrate the social model of disability, understanding that challenges often arise from societal barriers rather than from the individual, and we work to remove those barriers wherever possible.

But being affirming goes beyond philosophy. At Affirm, we put this into action in many concrete ways:

• Accessible and flexible communication: You can contact us through multiple channels, including phone, email, and online forms, to make reaching us as easy as possible.

• Inclusive evaluation options: We offer a variety of locations and methods for assessments to meet individual needs and comfort levels, including virtual or in-person options.

• Accommodations throughout the process: During evaluations, we provide supports tailored to your needs, such as shorter sessions, low-stimulation environments, or flexible timing.

• Accessible reporting: We aim to write our reports clearly and collaboratively, so you can understand the findings and recommendations, and use them in school, work, or daily life.

• Collaborative care: Whether in therapy or assessment, we see you as the expert in your own experience. Recommendations and treatment plans are co-created, respecting your perspective and priorities.

• Website accessibility: Our digital spaces are designed to be as inclusive as possible, ensuring that information and services are accessible to everyone.

• Respect for individuality: From therapy strategies to assessment interpretations, we honor your communication style, your strengths, and the unique ways you experience the world.

At Affirm, we value your comfort. Please feel free to reach out using any of our contact options, including phone number, email, the contact form, or via a telehealth consultation!