First time thread-starter! Apologies as this is probably not a new issue.
I was referred in mid-2017 for an NHS assessment (I'm in Berkshire) by a CBT therapist in the NHS 'Talking Therapies' service. Last summer I cracked and paid for a private assessment as the wait was doing my head in. It all seemed very thorough and I was given a diagnosis of ASD, which I'm still processing but on the whole feel it's clarified some things for me.
I left myself on the NHS waiting list (partly through bloody-mindedness at the whole process taking so long) and an appointment has finally come up for a couple of weeks time. Although I'm annoyed at the time it's taken, part of me feels I already have my diagnosis now and don't need to go. Also, if the NHS clinic doesn't think I'm autistic, that's going to really mess with my head now that I've come round to the idea and feel like I've got some clarity at last. But would an NHS diagnosis carry more weight? (I should say that the clinic that diagnosed me does also do diagnoses on the NHS, so I've no reason to doubt their legitimacy.)
LV