How do I (adult female) ask my GP for assessment??

No no of course not, a diagnosis can be so so helpful.

Functioning labels, not so much!

Ah - I get it!

I misunderstood and thought you were indicating that diagnosis of autism was harmful rather than just the high/low sub-classification.

Hi, I’m new to this community but just wanted to share my experience on this. I too was really worried about approaching my gp about an assessment and put it off for many years. I eventually approached the subject when I was diagnosed with social anxiety and panic disorder. My gp was lovely and when going through all my concerns agreed that i should be referred. Due to the pandemic the waiting list was extended by 6 months, now 20months after my initial referral I have been assessed and was told on the day of the assessment that I am on the Autism  spectrum. 
I know where I live you can also do self referrals so don’t actually have to go through your GP but not sure if it’s the same everywhere. 
can I also just add that the assessment is very full on, lots of paperwork, questionnaires, questions about you as a baby, child etc( these were difficult for me to answer as my mum is sadly deceased and my dad not around) but I would just say if this is the same case for you then just answer them to the best of your ability. The actual assessment lasted 4 hours and was in 2 halves. 
I hope this helps a little but as others have said, make a note of all your concerns and when making the go appointment make sure you are only discussing the referral so the focus can be on that. 

"High/low-functioning" labels are harmful to autistics | LDT (learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk)

yea this is true

I think these are good reasons and same as mine were. It massively helped understand my MH. I would say, there are days when I doubt myself, even after diagnosis! 

Not something I came up with, but commonly used term in software development (especially for mobiles).

en.wikipedia.org/.../Hamburger_button

I'm looking forward to my diagnosis for three main reasons...

• Sometimes when feeling good/fully functional, or reflecting on such times in my past, I start to doubt my self-diagnosis. This leads to me not asserting my needs strongly enough.
• I want to check that I don't have some other condition as well as (or perhaps instead of) autism.
• When seeking medical help (particularly for mental health & therapy), I want to present ALL the relevant information - they more background they have, the more likely to get effective treatment.

Why?

Functioning labels are very harmful

Thanks for the advice. Can you explain why you believe a diagnosis isn't helpful for high functioning austusm?

You should try to clarify WHY you want to have a diagnosis from an official channel.

it often isn’t helpful for high functioning autistic people 

Make a list of reasons why u think u are autistic.

include blood relatives in your family who are autistic or adhd or called weird/different

and a list of occasions when u have been called weird, autistic, different

the list should be electronic ie so you can email it to anyone who wants it.

Hamburger menu? I’ve never heard it called that before. I believe the icon is meant to represent a list. Interesting how differently people see things.

Be prepared for the question "why do you think you're autistic? " I emailed a list to my GP based on the criteria on the NAS website.

Hi,

I recently asked my GP to refer me and he did straight away.

All he asked for were reasons/symptoms so it's helpful to compile a list of reasons why you feel you're autistic!

I named atleast 20 things and he referred me to a local clinic straight away. They haven't contacted me yet though, you will probably be waiting a while

It should be in the ☰ hamburger menu top right when you are viewing the forum.

Thanks. Couldn't find a place to search, though I am using my phone.

Hi & welcome.

It's worth having a search on this forum, there are a few recent threads in recent years discussing this in detail. The "Related" links on the right hand side of this page are sometimes useful.

See also: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/autistic-women-and-girls

I'm not female, but in general I suggest gathering some "evidence" to present to your GP...

• Results of online autism tests (such as AQ-50)
• List examples of issues you experience wrt typical autistic traits (eg: What is Autism?)
• Childhood examples of autistic behaviours (the assessors in my pre-assement interview were particularly interested in this)

My GP was very supportive, but I have been seeing her for years prior to asking for a diagnosis so she was aware of some of the anxiety and related issues I had before realising I was autistic.

If your GP isn't supportive, there are other avenues such as self-referral to the mental health team.

Be prepared though - the waiting list for NHS assessment in some areas runs to years. Private diagnosis is possible if you have the ~£1k to fund it and don't want to wait.

Finally, please consider setting a profile name - all the NASxxx accounts get confusing!