Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
i'm currently deciding whether or not to ask for an assessment referral. I've done many tests over the last few years and each one has said it is worth getting diagnosed as I may be on the spectrum. Thing is i'm 40 this year and I think, whats the point? i've spent half my life not knowing and if i did would it even make any difference?
I've been told it can take up to 2 years to get assessed and i'm one of those people that constantly goes over scenarios in my head until the 'situation' has happened, i do for days/weeks before meetings, interviews etc and it can be quite exhausting.
My wife thinks I should as it would explain a lot about my lack of social skills (and friends), although i have no interest in getting any of the latter.
So I just wondered what the benefits of getting assessed are and if it is worth the extremely long wait?
Hi
I was diagnosed in my early 40s - definitely worth doing as life gets more complicated and our ability to cope and 'power through' diminishes at we get older. We often simply burn out when it all turns to crap.
The waiting list is typically about 2 years but you can pay and get a private diagnosis. You would need proof from the assessor that their reports are NHS and DWP accepted. Costs can be £800 to £2000. If you have company health insurance, it may be covered.
The benefits are bening able to ask for workplace adjustments if things start to go wrong - we are very bad at dealing with stress and anxiety so if your job environment changes, you can ask for accommodations. It's also useful as a last resort to claim PIP benefits if it gets so bad that it affects your ability to function.
Lack of friends is because you're trying to interface to 'normies' (NTs). They have a different operating system to us - they only value status and power so if you're into classic cars or technology or Lego or RC planes, they cannot 'value' you so they have no interest in you.
Your best source of friend will be if you look for the grown-up version of whatever you loved to do as a child - all the others like you will already be doing it.