Published on 12, July, 2020
I've heard that some areas only accept NHS diagnoses. How do I find out if my council services will accept a private assessment. I don't want to wait possibly years for an NHS diagnosis but I also don't want to cash out ~£900 for a diagnosis that won't even allow me to access support services.
I wasn't sure who to ask there haha. The page on autism has so little information :[ I'll definitely try to ask before getting an assessment though
Haven't spoken to my GP yet, I was worried about not being believed/listened to, so I was considering going straight to a specialist to avoid that. The assessor I'm considering is a doctor who specialises in autism (MSc, RP, ND) and gets another doctor (M.D.) to co-sign her report.
Ask the private assessor to prove their report will be accepted by NHS and DWP. Some of these assessors just go through the online questionnaires and hand you back the results - there's no diagnosis or anything. I think you need someone properly qualified to do the job - don't pay up front for anything until you know what you're getting.
Who does your GP recommend?
Ask your council? Or call the national helpline from this site?