Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, first time posting! I’ve been under CAMHS since I was a teen where it was first suggested that I was autistic but I immediately dismissed it as I was a kid and was scared of being labelled as autistic as I didn’t understand what it was. I was therefore treated for depression and anxiety. It was also recently suggested that I was autistic by another psychiatrist where I was receiving help for mental health issues, she suggested I go to my GP for a referral which is what I did. My GP did send the referral but the autism assessment place has refused to even assess me as they say it’s down to social anxiety even though I have numerous autistic traits that are nothing to do with social anxiety. I’ve tried twice now to get an assessment on the NHS and twice they’ve said it’s just social anxiety. I can’t afford to go private but I’m not sure what I can do. Can I ask to be referred to a different service? Looking at the reviews on the place I was referred to im not the only one who they’ve done this to and others have been told similar and have then gone on to get a diagnosis. Any advice would be appreciated
Hi, you could get your GP to refer you and then ask for “Right to Choose,” you then use a private provider and the NHS pay for it . A common choice is Psychiatry UK. Have a look at their website and a lot of this is explained. There is a section called “ Right to Choose”. You do need to live in England though. Look under frequently asked questions on their site.
hi, I didn’t know I could do this, I’ll definitely ask. I’ve been given an appointment with the mental health nurse instead so I’m going to ask her about it. Not sure how they can put down my sensory issues, lack of social awareness and rigid routines down to just anxiety but we’ll see what she says. I’ve read the reviews on the autism assessment clinic in my area which is where I was referred to and literally a number of people have had the same experience as me wher they’ve been turned down or been written off as ‘just anxious’ and these people have gone on to get a diagnosis. It’s awful how they can turn people down without even meeting them or speaking to them
If your mental health team agree that it's probably not just anxiety, they're in a better position to make the referral than a GP. My referral was done that way, and especially if you have a psychiatrist who believes you're autistic she should be able to make the case to accept the referral.