embraceautism.com

What Embrace Autism is and who runs it

Embrace Autism (embrace-autism.com) is a mixed site: part education hub, part “try these self-assessments” library, and part paid clinical service pathway for adult autism (and often AuDHD) screening and diagnosis. The site frames itself as “research and experience-based” and explicitly “by autistic people, for autistic people.”

The core public-facing founders are Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht (listed with an MSc in Applied Psychology and the credentials ND, RP) and Eva Silvertant (graphic design background, psychology studies in progress). Their “About” page says the project began in 2018 because they felt adult-focused autism information was lacking, and that they’re based near Toronto while working with a broader, international autistic team.

What you can actually do on the site

Most people land on Embrace Autism for one of three reasons:

1. Read longform articles about adult autism, masking, co-occurring conditions, identity, and day-to-day functioning. The writing tends to mix citations with lived-experience framing.

2. Take online questionnaires (their “Autism tests” section) like RAADS–R, AQ, CAT-Q, Aspie Quiz, and a bunch of related psychometrics (empathy, alexithymia, stimming, etc.).

3. Use their clinical pathway, which they describe as a staged process (screening first, then diagnostic assessment if indicated). They’re very explicit that no diagnosis is made from a screening tool alone.

If you’re trying to understand the site quickly: it’s built to support self-understanding, but it also sells an evaluation pathway that turns self-report data into a clinician-written report.

The “autism tests” section: useful, but not a diagnosis

The test pages are one of the biggest draws. Embrace Autism doesn’t just embed questionnaires; they usually add context like what a tool measures, typical cutoffs, and sometimes notes on research quality.

For example, their RAADS–R page describes it as a clinician aid for diagnosing autistic adults and repeats the commonly cited cutoff score (65+) as “consistent with autism” while also stressing that clinician judgment overrides any questionnaire result.
Their CAT-Q page describes camouflaging/masking and why someone might score “less obvious” on traditional autism tools if they’ve learned to compensate socially.

That said, the big thing people miss is this: self-report tools are inputs, not conclusions. Even strong tools can over-identify or under-identify depending on population, context, co-occurring conditions, and how someone interprets questions.

Clinical organizations make this point bluntly. The UK’s National Autistic Society notes that a diagnosis should not be based on any single autism-specific instrument alone; it should combine multiple information sources and clinical judgement.
Research in adult outpatient settings also warns clinicians not to rely solely on self-report measures (or even ADOS alone) when diagnosing adults.
And specifically for RAADS–R, a paper often cited in critiques concludes it lacks predictive validity as a screening tool in some adult referral contexts.

So if you’re using Embrace Autism’s tests: treat them like structured reflection, not a verdict.

Online assessments and paid services: what the process looks like

Embrace Autism describes its assessment pathway as staged. The “Autism assessments” page says their screening is a compilation of validated psychometric tools plus practice-specific elements, and it’s clear that a formal diagnosis requires a qualified practitioner and an established clinical relationship (their “part 2”).

Their Assessments FAQ adds details that matter in practice:

• Screening is required before diagnostic assessment, and it includes more than psychometrics (there’s also a questionnaire mapped to DSM/ICD requirements).
• For adults, they say they do not require parent/caregiver childhood accounts and rely on the adult’s own information.
• They discuss insurance in a cautious way: it’s private service pricing, and coverage varies by insurer and what the insurer recognizes.

An external summary from AutismBC (2022) describes a two-stage virtual process, with a screening stage and a more comprehensive diagnostic stage, and also flags a reality many people run into: whether a diagnosis is “accepted” can depend on what you need it for (benefits, services, workplace accommodations) and what your region requires.

One more point that’s easy to miss: Dr. Engelbrecht’s own bio page states that naturopathic doctors in Ontario were granted the right to diagnose in 2015, and she lists dual licensure as ND and registered psychotherapist.
That doesn’t automatically mean every institution will accept every form of documentation, so it’s worth checking requirements before paying for any assessment anywhere.

How to use the site responsibly if you’re self-exploring

If you’re using Embrace Autism mainly to understand yourself, a practical approach looks like this:

• Start with patterns, not scores. The tests can point to areas worth examining (sensory sensitivity, social fatigue, rigidity, masking), but the more useful output is the pattern across tools and your lived history.

• Write down examples. If you’re considering any formal evaluation (with Embrace Autism or anyone else), concrete examples are gold: what happens at work, what happens after social events, what you were like in school, what coping strategies you’ve built.

• Watch for overlap with anxiety, trauma, ADHD, depression. Embrace Autism openly discusses co-occurring conditions, and their assessment FAQ mentions psychometrics for several of them.
  Overlaps don’t invalidate autism; they just complicate interpretation.

• Don’t self-diagnose in isolation. If results hit hard emotionally, or if you’re making big life decisions, it helps to talk with a clinician who understands adult autism. The CDC’s general framing is still relevant: autism diagnosis isn’t a blood test; it’s a behavioural/developmental evaluation process.

Where the site fits in the bigger picture of adult autism diagnosis

Embrace Autism sits in a real gap: adult autism identification is often delayed, and many adults look for accessible explanations and tools before they ever speak to a professional. The site’s strength is that it bundles education + screening tools + a pathway to a written report in one place, and it is explicitly neurodivergent-led in tone and priorities.

The main risk is also predictable: when a site offers lots of tests, people may treat those results as definitive. Even when a page includes disclaimers, the emotional impact of “I scored above the cutoff” can be huge. And as the broader diagnostic guidance stresses, questionnaires should support assessment, not replace it.

If you keep that boundary clear, the site can be genuinely useful.

Key takeaways

• Embrace Autism combines education, self-assessment tools, and paid screening/diagnostic services for adults.
• The founders describe the site as created in 2018 to address a lack of adult autism information, and they present it as autistic-led.
• Their own assessment pages stress that screening tools alone do not produce a diagnosis; diagnosis requires a qualified practitioner and a fuller assessment process.
• Self-report autism tools (including RAADS–R) can be informative but should not be treated as a stand-alone answer; research and clinical guidance support this caution.
• If you’re paying for any assessment, verify acceptance requirements for your specific goal (insurance, benefits, workplace paperwork, school accommodations).

FAQ

Is embrace-autism.com a diagnostic service or just information?

It’s both. The site hosts educational content and free self-assessments, and it also describes a paid, staged assessment pathway (screening, then diagnostic assessment if appropriate).

Are the online autism tests on the site “accurate”?

They can be useful, but “accurate” depends on context. Guidance from autism organizations says diagnosis should not rely on a single tool alone, and research in adult clinical samples warns against leaning only on self-report measures.

If I score above a cutoff on RAADS–R, does that mean I’m autistic?

Not automatically. Embrace Autism itself notes clinician judgement should take precedence, and research has raised concerns about RAADS–R as a predictive screening tool in some adult referral settings.

Do they require childhood evidence from parents for adult diagnosis?

Their Assessments FAQ says that for adults they only ask for your information and that you can speak for yourself.

Will an Embrace Autism diagnosis be accepted everywhere?

Acceptance can vary depending on what a program, insurer, employer, or government benefit requires. AutismBC notes that some services may require confirmation by a local assessor even if a report is helpful for self-understanding and accommodations.