Published on 12, July, 2020
Apologies for the long post title.
I'm going to have an assessment at the Lorna Wing Centre, privately funded because my GP says it won't be possible on the NHS.
My GP advised me to check whether I would still be eligible for NHS autism treatment (e.g. therapy) after a private diagnosis.
I asked the LW Centre about this, and they advised me to check with my local service providers. I'm going to email them now, but I don't know if it will be possible to get a clear answer.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had a private assessment there, and then had any trouble accessing NHS treatment? I wouldn't have thought it would be an issue, given the LWC's reputation and the fact that they also accept NHS referrals, but I want to find out if I can.
Thanks in advance.
What type of treatment are you hoping to access post-diagnosis? In my experience, there is no post dx treatment or therapies for ASD. If you were talking ADHD I could understand it. I'm awaiting an ADHD assessment myself as my private dx isn't compatible so can't get prescribed ADHD meds on NHS. This is not an issue for ASD.
Hello Trei,I hope that your ADHD assessment goes well.
I guess what I'm hoping for is some kind of therapy or counselling to help me understand the different ways that autism has affected my life and relationships, then hopefully to help me to improve these things. For example, I find relationships difficult and very anxiety-provoking. Just some kind of help with that, and other things.
I know that the Lorna Wing Centre give people a "comprehensive post-diagnostic report with detailed recommendations based on identified needs". So hopefully, the assessment process would do part of the work, identifying the main problems and then helping me to know what I can do about them, and perhaps also where to go to get that help.
I can understand wanting to go private. Where I live the waiting list is incredibly long. I've already waited heading towards 2 years on the list for both ASD & ADHD assessments. I believe the ASD list is marginally shorter. 6 months is amazingly quick. You have nothing to lose by going on that list & going private if it doesn't work out. In an ideal world, we'd all like the types of support you describe post dx and they'd be available on the NHS. Unfortunately, unless you live in one of those rare areas where there is post dx support, then you're better off spending the money you'd spend at Lorna Wing on private therapy & getting the NHS referral at Maudsley, who I believe also have quite a good reputation.When my youngest was dx she was discharged with a few badly photocopied incomplete information sheets. No follow up whatsoever. My eldest was 18 at dx & got a far more comprehensive report, which I thought was quite funny as I'd already done all the legwork by then. Again, no follow up whatsoever. She eventually went on meds for anxiety but could have done that regardless of dx. I would suggest you research what, if anything, is available on the NHS post dx, because chances are its nothing & you'll end up paying privately anyway.
Hi Trei,
Thanks for your ideas. I did start a post on this forum a few weeks ago asking about post-diagnostic support, and had some helpful replies, but haven't yet looked into it seriously because the process of applying for the assessment itself was quite draining and overwhelming, writing about my past experiences and so on. Now that I've completed all the paperwork and am waiting to hear back from the LWC, I can start researching what support might be available. I wonder if there is anywhere I can find some kind of help even before an official diagnosis. I'm sure that private therapy can't be the only option.