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Rachel Wheeler
Associate Clinical Social Work, CA | ACSW #1266493
"I don't just study neurodiversity — I live it. And I've never stopped learning, because you deserve someone who doesn't either."
I'm AuDHD. I'm PDA. I'm Twice Exceptional. And I'm Here.
Neurodivergence isn't just a topic I've studied — it's who I am. I'm Autistic. I have ADHD. I'm PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). I am twice exceptional — living at the intersection of giftedness and neurodivergence, where strengths are vivid and unconventional, and where giftedness can mask challenges for years.
I've built a neurodiverse marriage of over 16 years. I'm raising a neurodivergent child. I know what it means to have a single moment of clarity rewrite the story of your whole life.
Everything I know clinically is grounded in lived experience that no number of courses can fully replicate.
Neurodiversity Is My Special Interest
If there were a degree in neurodiversity, I'd have it.
I hold a Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice from Columbia University School of Social Work and have taken over 50 additional courses across autism, ADHD, PDA, trauma, relationships, and nervous system science.
I'm PDA North America Level 2 Certified and hold a past PDA UK Level 3 Certification — some of the most specialized training available in this area. I studied English language curriculum at the C.G. Jung Institute in Switzerland.
Understanding how the nervous system interacts with communication, identity, and attachment is the foundation of how I work. Not just clinically — but because I've had to figure all of this out in my own life, step by step.
I am a passionate advocate for Autistic and Disability rights, and my approach is fully neuro-affirming — always. This isn't a framework I apply; it's who I am.
A Marriage Transformed by Diagnosis
My husband and I have been married for over 16 years, after seven years of close friendship.
That long foundation built our bond — but it didn't prevent the confusion that came from not understanding our different neurotypes. We missed signals. We misread needs.
It wasn't until I received my diagnosis that everything finally clicked into place. Suddenly, what had felt like struggle became clarity.
Our relationship shifted from expectation and blame to mutual understanding and compassion. We stopped trying to force a mold and began co-creating a dynamic that amplified our strengths and honored our needs.
That is what's possible when both partners commit to learning and growing together.
Why Assessment Is Life-Changing
I was a highly camouflaging autistic person for most of my life.
I didn't fully realize how much I was masking until I watched my daughter move through the world with the authenticity I had never allowed myself. Her example gave me the courage to begin unmasking — thoughtfully, purposefully, in ways that allowed me to stay safe while becoming more whole.
That experience is at the heart of why I believe assessment can be so transformative.
For so many adults, a late diagnosis is the first time they receive permission to stop performing. The first time someone says: 'You weren't wrong about yourself. You aren't too sensitive, too intense, or too difficult. There is a name for this. And there are others like you.'
That moment doesn't just bring relief. It rewrites the story of an entire life.
What Makes My Assessments Different
I bring a depth of lived experience to assessment work that is rare.
I am not evaluating you from the outside — I'm meeting you as someone who has navigated the same questions, the same confusing terrain, the same experience of being missed by systems that should have caught it.
I specialize in adults who have been missed or misdiagnosed — particularly those who masked for years, those told they were 'too high-functioning,' and those only now connecting the dots.
I also bring specialized expertise in PDA profiles, which are often overlooked entirely in adult assessment contexts.
My assessments are fully neuro-affirming — grounded in current research, meaningfully informed by Autistic voices and the broader neurodiversity movement, and shaped by the nuanced understanding I've developed through extensive training in autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity.
I don't rely on outdated deficit-based frameworks. Instead, I draw on evolving, community-informed understandings of what autism, ADHD, and PDA actually look like across the lifespan.
My assessments are thorough, nuanced, and collaborative. This is never a checklist exercise. It's a process designed to leave you with clarity, language for your experience, and a genuine path forward.
Support During and After Your Assessment
Receiving answers after years of confusion can be emotionally complex — relief, grief, anger, hope, often all at once. At AAA, therapeutic support is integrated into the evaluation process from the start.
You'll have space to process what surfaces at each step, not just at the end.
I am broadly trained in neuro-affirming therapy modalities, which means the support I offer isn't one-size-fits-all — it's adapted to how your nervous system actually works.
I'm deeply attuned to the journey of self-discovery that unfolds post-assessment, and I consider that journey as important as the assessment itself. A diagnosis isn't a destination — it's often the beginning of meeting yourself in an entirely new way. I'm here for that part too.
I also have personal understanding of what it means to receive life-changing information and then have to rebuild. My own late diagnoses of Autism and ADHD reshaped how I understand myself — my history, my needs, and what it means to live as my most authentic self.
That journey of rediscovering identity and recognizing my own support needs is something I carry with me into every client relationship, especially for those navigating their own turning points.
Outside the Assessment Room
I love walking in nature, practicing yoga, meditating, cooking with my daughter, listening to music, dancing, and watching British TV (a genuine special interest). These joys keep me grounded and remind me that life doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful.
Assessment Specialties
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AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) Assessment — including complex and overlapping presentations
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PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy) Profile Assessment — specialized Level 2/3 training
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Autism Spectrum Assessment for adults with long masking and camouflaging histories
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Twice Exceptional (2e) Assessment for gifted and neurodivergent adults
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Late-identified adults who have been dismissed or previously misdiagnosed
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Co-occurring trauma, anxiety, and nervous system dysregulation
Education & Training
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M.S., Advanced Clinical Practice — Columbia University
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English Language Curriculum — C.G. Jung Institute, Switzerland
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PDA North America, Level 2 Certified
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Past PDA UK, Level 3 Certified
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Graduate-level training in psychological and neurodiverse assessment
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50+ advanced trainings in autism, ADHD, PDA, trauma, and neurodivergent relationships
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Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452
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Employed by New Path Family of Therapy Centers
A Final Word
If you've felt like no one has really gotten you — assessment with me might feel different. Not because you're broken. But because you finally won't have to pretend.
When you're ready, I'm here.