Referral for autism diagnosis for an adult

[Aubasaurus]

Wasn't sure what forum to post this on but hoping someone might be able to help. Would love to hear from anyone who has been through the process of being diagnosed with autism as an adult.

I have long suspected that the problems I have in life might be due to autism rather than the social anxiety I was diagnosed with as a teenager. I do have social anxiety, but I think it is a result of finding it difficult to understand the 'right' way to behave in social situations. I have had this in the back of my mind for a few years after reading about how women with autism often present differently to males, and then after watching the recent C4 doc I have taken the plunge and booked myself a gp appointment. The problem is, I am not sure what to say and I'm worried that I won't be taken seriously. I'm really bad at being assertive with medical professionals. I know there is very little funding for this sort of thing and suspect they will want me to go away as while I do struggle with certain things I'm (mostly) coping ok. I would just like to know this about myself, so I can forgive myself for failing at being normal.

Does anyone have any tips/experiences they don't mind sharing?

Anyone?

Please don't feel under pressure to be 'normal' just be happy with who you are. You haven't failed, you are just different. Sorry no experience of diagnosis, my son started the child one takes around 2 years but we stopped it as too much involved and limited benefits.

Everyone wants to be “normal”, whether neurodiverse or not. The problem is, there isn’t really such a thing as “normal”!!

Also, it’s really common for women with ASD to only realise they may have it when they’re in their 20s/30s/40s. Women tend to adapt and mask, so whilst they seem like they’re coping, they’re not internally.

I myself was diagnosed last November at the age of 22. I did initially go to the GP, but asked to be referred to the Lorna Wing Centre which is private (so probably not for you). What you should do is look up the symptoms (google ASD in women, Tania Marshall is a good source) and write down the ones you have, and then tell your GP. If they ask for a reason for a diagnosis, just say that you want it for your own peace of mind/validation.

I would agree with penguin that you shouldn’t feel ashamed to be different and to accept yourself as you are. I’m not really there yet; when I’m feeling down I often moan that I wish I didn’t have ASD. I’m looking into getting counselling for it so that I can learn to accept the ASD, that there are difficulties but also positives.

*Actually, “probably not for you” sounds a bit harsh. They do accept NHS referrals I believe, but they take a while as you know. I was able to pay myself, but it cost around £1900. I mention it mainly because it’s good for diagnosing ASD in women, as they use the DISCO method which was designed for this purpose, other methods tend to be more biased towards males.

DISCO is basically a long interview (I was there about five hours, including a lunch break). They start off with your early childhood and progress chronologically; my mother came with me to provide the early years info. If bringing along a parent is problematic then you can always ask what to do; I’m sure they’re used to it.

Also: the Mumsnetters with SN board is useful, they have a long-running “support for those with ASD” thread, you don’t have to be officially diagnosed to be on there. It’s under the Special Needs section under the larger Talk topics list.

Thank you both for taking the time to reply and your tips and kind words. I'm taking it all on board.

Just an update - I saw the GP today. It was very difficult to talk about it but she was patient and receptive and has agreed to refer me for diagnosis. So that's done, now I can forget about it for a while!

Glad to hear you got the referral.

Hope it goes well anc they don’t keep you waiting too long OP. My 21 yo son has recently been referred for assessment but has been advised that the wait in our area is a minimum of 12 months!