Autism assessment

[fatherfurlong]

My adult son - not yet 30 has on three occasions had a mental health blip, not hospitalised but referred to local mental health team and occupational health. On two occasions the health professionals he has seen has suggested he have an assessment for autism.
How does one go about getting an assessment? I expect to do it on NHS will mean a very long wait but would the GP refer to psychiatrist? If he goes privately what should he be aware of and where to start. Is this clinical decision made by psychiatrist or psychologist?
Any advice welcomed.

The local mental health team could have referred him to your area’s Adult Autism assessment service. As they haven’t, you can ask him to ask his GP to refer him. Write up a few notes for GP as to why he thinks he may have autism, how it has affected his life and how a diagnosis could help him (ie accomodation at work so not losing his job as often). GP will refer him and then he will get a packet of questionnaires to fill out, one will be for a relative like you who has known him since a child to fill out. If the answers pass initial screening, he will be added to the NHS waitlist

The wait is very long, but watch the clock and after 18 weeks on the NHS waitlist, he can go back to GP with a Right to Choose from whoever is doing private autism assessments in your area the NHS have contracts with - here it is Psychiatry-UK. May be a different company where you are but the GP will know who they are. The process is roughly the same
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose-asd/

Then he’d go on a shorter but still long waitlist. As in just under 2yrs instead of 4yrs. Although these should both reduce as most of that is still covid backlog.

A psychologist will assess him and decide on diagnosis, and should in the report state specific accommodations he would need from an employer and/or educational setting.

If he is diagnosed with a comorbid condition, ie ADHD then a psychiatrist will assess to see if medication is necessary.

My mental health team referred me and it took just over a year to get my assessment

I asked my GP for a referral. She only asked me why I thought I was autistic. I tben had
A triage -type assessment with a specialist nurse and was then put on the waiting list for a full assessment. The wait was so long (3.5 years I think) that I decided to go for a private assessment. 2 psychologists did it. I found them on the Autism UK website.

Is he still under the CMHT? I have been under mine for a few years and recently had a psychology assessment to see what therapies were appropriate for me. The psychologist doing the assessment suggested I go back to see him for an autism assessment. He said it should be before Xmas.