Oh dear….what happens if not diagnosed?

Personally, if my NHS assessment says I'm not autistic, I intend to continue to call myself autistic, continue to go to the autistic groups I've joined, and continue to live my life as an autistic person because it's working for me. I used to have meltdowns every week and hardly ever do now I've changed my lifestyle to accommodate my autism. Depending on cost I might pursue private diagnosis so I have it on paper in case I need accommodations in future.

I know I'm autistic. It's possible that I won't be able to communicate well enough with the assessor to convince them of that (story of my life when seeking healthcare) but that doesn't mean my autism isn't real.

Personally, if my NHS assessment says I'm not autistic, I intend to continue to call myself autistic, continue to go to the autistic groups I've joined, and continue to live my life as an autistic person because it's working for me. I used to have meltdowns every week and hardly ever do now I've changed my lifestyle to accommodate my autism. Depending on cost I might pursue private diagnosis so I have it on paper in case I need accommodations in future.

I know I'm autistic. It's possible that I won't be able to communicate well enough with the assessor to convince them of that (story of my life when seeking healthcare) but that doesn't mean my autism isn't real.

A private assessment doesn't automatically diagnose you as autistic just because you have paid for it. What it might do is give you a more in depth assessment or enable you to be assessed sooner