Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed in June by a private service. One of the reasons I went private was that a doctor told me my referral to an NHS assessment centre must have been lost when I moved Gp surg
ries. Turns out this was not the case: two years after referral, the NHS service have offered me an assessment. I’ve accepted it because I’ve experienced a lot of doubt and imposter syndrome in relation to my first diagnosis, but now I’m anxious: What if they say I am in fact not autistic? I’ve disclosed to people, and worked on recognising ASD as an important part of my identity. Also the money paid, against my principles, for the private assessment was significant, especially given I’m a student. The assessment will be an ADOOS, together with developmental history interviews with my dad.I’m worried that there may not be an expert on ‘the female presentation of autism’ on the team, and that because I tend to come across ok in conversation, they may not diagnose me. If they do, it wo
uld be really validating, but if not, I will feel very lost.
I don’t really have a specific question, this is just an invitation for thoughts. Thanks in advance :)
