Seeking diagnosis
Hello, I have been asked by a few close people if I am on the spectrum and I never thought of looking into it ..after taking some assessments it has been recommended that I seek a professional to test/diagnose. I just started seven cups and have connected with a therapist but I'm not sure how to go about getting tested. Thank you. Any advice is appreciated I feel so weird doing this.
It can depend on where you live. If you are in the US, autism is a medical diagnosis, which means it must be done by a medical doctor or psychiatrist. So you can ask your doctor if there is someone they recommend. Also in the US, autism is legally classified as a disability, so you can check where in your state government they provide “rehabilitation services” or occupational therapy— they could give you some leads. My doctor is part of a health system, so I found the office in their system and someone there gave me the names of places that do the assessment.
Be prepared for long waitlists, unfortunately. I had to wait 4 months for an appointment to do a pre-assessment (which was a video call with a psychiatrist who determined if I had enough of the signs of autism to be assessed) and then I waited an 5 months after that for the office visit, where they did a bunch of tests. And then another 2 months for the final diagnosis and write up.
My daughter is in a very large city and is finding no one who does assessments take insurance (they all require out of pocket payment). Mine cost $4,000.
This may be stuff you already know. But in most of the communities or groups I’ve joined since my diagnosis there are many people who don’t have a medical diagnosis and they are welcomed just as much as those who do, so don’t let the wait hold you back from finding support. I needed to get a diagnosis to qualify for accommodations at work.
