I am fairly confident (as are my therapists) that I am somewhere on some sort of spectrum. However, when I looked at the process of getting a formal diagnosis, it was several thousand dollars which would not be covered by insurance and would be a full year at least on a waiting list. (I believe they also want to talk to your family…)
The average age of diagnosis for AFAB folks is around 30. Clinicians are not trained in recognizing the way that ASD presents in girls, and are to this day often taught that it doesn’t really present in girls at all (a current gig is tutoring intro psych - this was in a students textbook!)
Self-diagnosis is problematic, but you also must acknowledge that accessing resources to even get evaluated are often completely out of reach.
Maximum target waiting time is 13 weeks - AFTER you get a referral from a GP - and not all of those are willing to refer adults who are high functioning because they see it as taking a rare resource away from those more in need.
But even with that referral, 84% of people are waiting longer.
Private is possible, and 3-4 weeks, but that costs around £4,000.
Without a professional diagnosis, you won’t qualify for any assistance, either from the state or your workplace.
(I self diagnosed as autisitic in my 50s, after a childhood diagnosis of dyslexic. I now think was a misdiagnosis of autism.)
I am fairly confident (as are my therapists) that I am somewhere on some sort of spectrum. However, when I looked at the process of getting a formal diagnosis, it was several thousand dollars which would not be covered by insurance and would be a full year at least on a waiting list. (I believe they also want to talk to your family…)
The average age of diagnosis for AFAB folks is around 30. Clinicians are not trained in recognizing the way that ASD presents in girls, and are to this day often taught that it doesn’t really present in girls at all (a current gig is tutoring intro psych - this was in a students textbook!)
Self-diagnosis is problematic, but you also must acknowledge that accessing resources to even get evaluated are often completely out of reach.
Same here in the UK.
Maximum target waiting time is 13 weeks - AFTER you get a referral from a GP - and not all of those are willing to refer adults who are high functioning because they see it as taking a rare resource away from those more in need.
But even with that referral, 84% of people are waiting longer.
Private is possible, and 3-4 weeks, but that costs around £4,000.
Without a professional diagnosis, you won’t qualify for any assistance, either from the state or your workplace.
(I self diagnosed as autisitic in my 50s, after a childhood diagnosis of dyslexic. I now think was a misdiagnosis of autism.)
They are for most people, but he’s literally the richest man in the world.