Episode 240

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Published on:

28th Mar 2026

Episode 240: Affirming Autism Assessments for High-Masking Adults [featuring Dr. Salena Justice]

In this episode, Patrick Casle and Dr. Salena Justice, a psychologist who specializes in working with high-masking autistic adults, talk about the realities of autism assessment and the ongoing need for affirming care in the mental health field.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

  1. Affirming Approaches Matter: Many traditional training programs still lack truly affirming perspectives on autism, often focusing on stereotypical or high-support presentations. It's important for providers to move beyond outdated models and truly listen to the lived experiences of autistic individuals.
  2. Telehealth Can Be Empowering: Contrary to common hesitation, effective and affirming autism assessments are not only possible via telehealth—they can even be preferable for many autistic adults. Being in a familiar environment helps clients feel more at ease, making the assessment process more validating and less stressful.
  3. Language and Permission Shape the Experience: Creating a supportive space goes beyond formal assessments. Small changes—like offering examples of accommodations, normalizing special interests, or allowing follow-ups after sessions—can make a huge difference. Language that celebrates strengths (not just points out deficits) makes the process more empowering and constructive.

More about Salena:

Dr. Salena Justice is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with high-masking autistic adults throughout the US. She specializes in skills-based therapy and autism evaluations, helping clients understand how their brains work and learn practical tools for everyday life, like managing burnout, emotions, relationships, and work without constant overwhelm. She’s passionate about validating overlooked experiences and turning self-understanding into real-world change.

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Mentioned in this episode:

NeuroPreneur Circle Community

NeuroPreneur Circle is an online community built by and for neurodivergent entrepreneurs who want a supportive space to build a business, a space where they can show up as themselves and in whatever way feels most comfortable. NeuroPreneur Circle exists because community built on masking isn't really community. And business advice built for neurotypical brains isn't actually useful to us, no matter how many times we try to make it fit. Whatever your neurotype, whatever you're building, there's a space here for you. You've been creating alone long enough. Visit: https://atppod.com/community

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About the Podcast

The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur
Honest conversations about building a business while Neurodivergent, the self-doubt, the chaos, and everything in between.
The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur is a podcast for ADHD, Autistic, and all other neurodivergent entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creative work, and lives that actually fit how their brains work. Hosted by Patrick Casale, LCMHC, this show is for people who
want to create meaningful work, create outside of the box, grow their impact, and build something sustainable without losing themselves in the process.

Being a neurodivergent entrepreneur can feel like holding a lot of contradictions at once. You may have big ideas, deep passion, creative energy, and a strong desire to do things differently. You may also be navigating burnout, masking, self-doubt, perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, executive dysfunction, inconsistent energy, and the pressure to keep showing up when your capacity is already stretched. This podcast speaks to that reality honestly, because building a business around your brain, your values, and your lived experience can be powerful, complicated, messy, and deeply personal.

Patrick Casale is a chronically ill, AuDHD, mental health therapist, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, event host, group practice owner, and neurodivergent business owner who has built, grown, burned out, pivoted, and kept going. His work brings together clinical insight, lived experience, business perspective, and real conversation about what it actually takes to create something that feels values aligned. His conversations are direct, compassionate, unfiltered, and practical, with room for both the emotional reality of entrepreneurship and the concrete decisions that shape a sustainable business.

New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature honest conversations with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, therapists, business owners, and leaders. Together, Patrick and his guests explore entrepreneurship, identity, mental health, chronic health,
creativity, leadership, systems, money mindset, visibility, community, sustainable growth, and the behind-the-scenes reality of creating work that matters.

Build your dream business. Protect your capacity. Work with your brain instead of against it.