Getting a diagnosis

Sadly it's one of those 'just do it' things.  Your uncertainty will last for a long time if you go thro the NHS but be very careful about a private provider, because some carry no credibility with the NHS, the state, insurers etc, if you need that.

I had one (telephone) appointment with a GP to discuss it and she was happy to refer, but candidly told me that via the NHS, I would definitely be talking 18 months and maybe 2-3 years. BTW I'd thought through the conversation, had bullet points to hand, and kept absolutely on-topic.

She refused to recommend a private practitioner (quite properly) but offered to 'vet' one that I chose, to be sure it would be someone credible, whose word would be accepted.  She actually said "I would LIKE to check out the service you choose ..."  I thought that was really good.

I was quoted wildly varying prices but bizarrely, in the end, I think the second cheapest was the private practice of the NHS consultant who heads up autism in our region (so if I'd gone the NHS route, I wouldn't have seen him, but someone working for him).   The diagnosis was done with the assistance of a psychiatric nurse with an impressive list of (genuine) credentials. It took a bit of research to find them (these people have no idea how to market themselves or even optimise a website) but I'm glad I did.

Given the Consultant's status I nearly didn't bother checking with the GP, but I did, more to let her know I was going ahead than anything, and the answer was "yes, that's probably the best one in this area".   It took about 8 weeks to get a diagnosis but only because he was on holiday in between my main appointment and receiving the report.

I wasn't offered and wouldn't have wanted a 'feedback meeting' as many people are, and for me (possibly not for others) that would have been a silly annoyance delaying the substantive issue for diary reasons. I just got the draft report, with an invitation to let them know if I contested anything or thought anything was wrong (it was fine apart from some minor, inconsequential details which didn't affect the diagnosis).

I don't need a diagnosis for any state benefits or insurance-related reason, just for me, but I wanted have confidence in it and be sure it was correct.  Having received it, I've quietly spent months reading into autism, including academic books and peer-reviewed papers in credible journals, and it has been life changing.  Enlightening, self-revelatory, and sometimes gob-smacking.

I'm 234 years old (well, nearly) and if I'd been diagnosed as a child it would have been awful, because autism wasn't understood then, so I'm very glad I wasn't.  But if I had known, privately, in my 20s, some major life decisions would have been very different, and life would have been easier in some respects.  Hindsight is wonderful.

But I know now, and I am finding that it is much easier to navigate the neurotypical world. I am still baffled, on an intuitive level, by the same things that used to baffle me, but now at least I can intellectualise it.  I can predict reactions to the things I say more accurately, generate outcomes more easily, and avoid problems more often.  Which is all good.  

My study has told me a great deal about the 'shape' of my own autism (self discovery doesn't begin to describe it).  I don't tell anyone unless there is a specific reason for doing so (only my wife, my brother and a couple of health professionals know).   I'm not ashamed of it, but it's just not relevant to my discussions with anyone else (in my case, that may be different for others).   

So, yes it's expensive.  Yes, it's worth it.  But do be careful about which service you choose (perhaps ask your GP if they'll do what mine did).  

Good luck with it, Mark.   

Sadly it's one of those 'just do it' things.  Your uncertainty will last for a long time if you go thro the NHS but be very careful about a private provider, because some carry no credibility with the NHS, the state, insurers etc, if you need that.

I had one (telephone) appointment with a GP to discuss it and she was happy to refer, but candidly told me that via the NHS, I would definitely be talking 18 months and maybe 2-3 years. BTW I'd thought through the conversation, had bullet points to hand, and kept absolutely on-topic.

She refused to recommend a private practitioner (quite properly) but offered to 'vet' one that I chose, to be sure it would be someone credible, whose word would be accepted.  She actually said "I would LIKE to check out the service you choose ..."  I thought that was really good.

I was quoted wildly varying prices but bizarrely, in the end, I think the second cheapest was the private practice of the NHS consultant who heads up autism in our region (so if I'd gone the NHS route, I wouldn't have seen him, but someone working for him).   The diagnosis was done with the assistance of a psychiatric nurse with an impressive list of (genuine) credentials. It took a bit of research to find them (these people have no idea how to market themselves or even optimise a website) but I'm glad I did.

Given the Consultant's status I nearly didn't bother checking with the GP, but I did, more to let her know I was going ahead than anything, and the answer was "yes, that's probably the best one in this area".   It took about 8 weeks to get a diagnosis but only because he was on holiday in between my main appointment and receiving the report.

I wasn't offered and wouldn't have wanted a 'feedback meeting' as many people are, and for me (possibly not for others) that would have been a silly annoyance delaying the substantive issue for diary reasons. I just got the draft report, with an invitation to let them know if I contested anything or thought anything was wrong (it was fine apart from some minor, inconsequential details which didn't affect the diagnosis).

I don't need a diagnosis for any state benefits or insurance-related reason, just for me, but I wanted have confidence in it and be sure it was correct.  Having received it, I've quietly spent months reading into autism, including academic books and peer-reviewed papers in credible journals, and it has been life changing.  Enlightening, self-revelatory, and sometimes gob-smacking.

I'm 234 years old (well, nearly) and if I'd been diagnosed as a child it would have been awful, because autism wasn't understood then, so I'm very glad I wasn't.  But if I had known, privately, in my 20s, some major life decisions would have been very different, and life would have been easier in some respects.  Hindsight is wonderful.

But I know now, and I am finding that it is much easier to navigate the neurotypical world. I am still baffled, on an intuitive level, by the same things that used to baffle me, but now at least I can intellectualise it.  I can predict reactions to the things I say more accurately, generate outcomes more easily, and avoid problems more often.  Which is all good.  

My study has told me a great deal about the 'shape' of my own autism (self discovery doesn't begin to describe it).  I don't tell anyone unless there is a specific reason for doing so (only my wife, my brother and a couple of health professionals know).   I'm not ashamed of it, but it's just not relevant to my discussions with anyone else (in my case, that may be different for others).   

So, yes it's expensive.  Yes, it's worth it.  But do be careful about which service you choose (perhaps ask your GP if they'll do what mine did).  

Good luck with it, Mark.