Can anyone tell me whether you've been for an ASD assessment without any offical 'evidence' like medical records and school reports? I'm in my 50s and I have been convinced for about 5 years that I'm autistic, but just recently emailed Lorna Wing Centre to ask about having a private assessment. They asked for copies of documentation, but I don't have anything. I was treated for depression ages, but stopped taking the meds (this was 30 years ago) and never sought help again. I have had serious bouts of depression on and off throughout my life since teens, also high anxiety levels. I am quite phobic about doctors, but also I didn't feel that depression treatment worked - in retrospect I think that there was obviously this bigger issue, autism, and I was just expecting the antidepressants to somehow make me 'normal' which obviously didn't happen. So I've coped by being a sahm, then doing a series of low paid, unskilled jobs that I could quit when I got bored or couldn't cope. And I've had months where I've just sat at home like a zombie. Dh has (undiagnosed) autism too so he's never been someone who'd spot that I was struggling and encourage me to get help.
So, I suppose I just want to know if not having been on the radar of medical and support services and getting to this age would stop me getting properly assessed. Do I really need to go through the whole GP thing first? I was just hoping that if I paid privately I could go for assessment with the minimum of official contact needed. I don't want benefits or meds, just some kind of understanding of who I am.