People can self identify as much as they like, this doesn’t translate to anything useful at all for them.
IME the only private clinics offering assessments that lead to support are ones where clinicians also work through the NHS, as otherwise the diagnosis lacks credibility and support cannot be accessed.
An assessment is in three parts, looking at different areas of the child’s life, so unlikely to be diagnosed unless they actually are autistic.
You’ll probably be delighted to hear that there is very little support out there. There aren’t enough special schools around, and mainstream schools are often shit for children.
Even with a diagnosis it’s nigh on impossible to find anything like adequate support. Many schools won’t support unless there’s a diagnosis in place - they’re supposed to be needs led, not diagnosis led, but they lie, or the child isn’t likeable enough so they’d rather punish and make them suffer.
There are children being assessed now who wouldn’t have needed it 30/40 years ago, because schools and life weren’t as high pressured as they are now. That’s not to say these children aren’t autistic, it’s to point out that life for many has become intolerable for many.
The people who repeatedly start these threads (banging on about the “explosion “ in autistic children, how it’s “often” munchausens, how us mothers are weak, need to discipline our children, are diagnosis chasing, money chasing, junk food feeding, pushy snowflakes (basically whatever is on the MN autism bashing thread of the day week)) need to give their heads a big fucking wobble. If you want to moan about something try making changes to make life better for all school children instead of beating those seeking help 🤬