Getting a diagnosis

That's great news - I'm really glad your assessor was helpful. Hope you get the answers you're looking for.

I'm really pleased to hear that you've had a referral! Good luck and hopefully the wait isn't too long!

Update: After submitting a statement to my mental health assessor about why I think I meet the DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis I have had a referral, so thank you very much for the suggestion. I know it will be a long wait but at least I am on the way now. I am a bit scared but hopefully have done the right thing. 

Welcome to the forum 

I'm also seeking a referral at the moment. My GP was not understanding at all - he (falsely) told me that there were no autism assessment services in my area and wouldn't even give me a referral for my mental health conditions (anxiety and OCD). He just gave me a business card for the mental health service and told me to self-refer; I felt like he wasn't interested and just wanted to get me out the door.

I went for my mental health referral and as well as getting me a referral for anxiety/OCD therapy, my assessor really listened when I brought up my suspicions about autism and how I thought it was linked to my anxiety (e.g. sensory issues getting worse when I'm anxious). He took me through the autism traits on the NAS website and got me to give examples of things I'd experienced to help him build a case for my referral. I'm still waiting to hear back as the waiting lists are long, but it made such a difference to feel like someone cared and understood.

My best advice is to learn what you can about autism, gather as much evidence as you can (e.g. examples of experiences you've had), and keep pushing until someone listens. Certainly don't feel guilty about costing the NHS - you have legitimate challenges and it's only right that you get the support you need. If you find you're struggling to get a referral, the NAS have a helpline you can contact - it might be worth getting some advice from them.

Good luck - I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Hi Lady,

I have only just been diagnosed (yesterday). All in the process took about 3 years. Initially my GP was not very supportive, having mental health difficulties on and off since childhood, that I never really felt fit me. Seeing a different GP and support in getting a diagnosis from the community mental health team as they were keen to get me off their books.

The biggest thing I can say is persevere. It is hard to get a diagnosis as an adult because the funding has to come direct from the CCG, which means the GP has to apply for it. 

That being said, the actual meeting for the diagnosis was not too bad and I was glad they gave me an answer there and then. 

Thank you for the responses. They have been very helpful. I will write up a case why I believe I have ASD.

NAS50301 thank you for the link. I will use that as a basis. I have all the symptoms there described. I hope it will be enough to get me a referral.

I was asked about my early childhood but I honestly don't remember much. I always was an anxious child but didn't start to have real problems until I was about 8 years old. I'm guessing because my awareness of the world was changing and things were expected of me I couldn't cope with. I had terrible difficulty communicating in school and struggled through university. 

I really do need this referral. I am not coping with the proposed treatment for social phobia, which is a program of recovery to get me past my issues in communicating. I am unable to sleep and struggling to eat from just the thought of it. I have so many more issues than just social anxiety. I feel really alone. But I will do this statement of symptoms and hope it can help me. I know it will take a long time to get a referral, with no guarantees, but at least I would be on the right road.

I agree with the other comments.  I went to my GP and he said he had referred several others this year and they'd all be rejected. I wrote down all the reasons why I believe I am autistic and was accepted for an assessment. 

Perhaps you didn't score high enough as you don't have OCD and its linked to your need for routine because you are autistic 

The GP experience sounds positive to me. You 'passed' one test, was borderline for two so you may be getting a referral - it isn't a no. To give yourself the past chance of being assessed I'd contact the autism team with supplementary evidence as to why you think you're autistic. Before my appt I handed in 8 sides of A3 with all of the reasons why I met the DSM5 criteria - I followed the layout from this blog page https://mamapineappleblog.wordpress.com/getting-assessed-a-personal-perspective/my-dsm-v-mapping/ 

Well the major question is why do you want a diagnosis. It could be used against you, by life assurance and others. I carried on until my60s before I got a diagnosis and then it was with a specific purpose. For some like yourself it my be that some would diagnose you as ASD and others may not.

If you go privately to an ASD specialist, it is likely they will diagnose (and charge ) you

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I was diagnosed with ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder F84.5 according to the ICD-10’ at the end of last year at the age of 37. I have had several episodes of depression, OCD, Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling which I now understand to be a stim) since childhood and social anxiety when I was younger for periods of time. 

I struggled to get my GP to take me seriously but I stood my ground! It helped my cause that I also had the opinions of 3 healthcare or education professionals which I used to strengthen my case for requiring referral. 

I would suggest writing a list of examples of how your suspected ASD symptoms affect you now and have affected you throughout your life. It would also help your case to have written accounts from close friends and especially family on the same. It’s just a case of presenting the GP with enough evidence that they can’t refuse to refer you.

Hope this helps and good luck!