Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello everyone! I am new here and I hope everyone is doing amazing, my little brother is on the spectrum at a high rate and my parents have always believed I am also on the spectrum. Any advice for a 23 year old to get tested? I should've done it years ago but with dealing with depression and anxiety as well, I just didn't care but I do now.
Hi Kyle
Advice from the NHS about seeking an autism diagnosis is published here (and includes links to the relevant NAS content):
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/getting-diagnosed/how-to-get-diagnosed/
Just to expand on advice that some others have already offered:
In addition to the suggested actions on the NHS website: in my area of England, GPs use the AQ-10 form as a screening tool for making referrals. This can be completed online, saved as a PDF and printed off via https://embrace-autism.com/aq-10/
As Kvothe suggested, it may benefit you to request a Right To Choose (RTC) referral if the waiting times for an assessment within the NHS are long within your area. Even though waiting times may be shorter via this route than within the NHS, it may still involve a wait of several months.
Several private / external providers can provide assessments under RTC, including - for example - these:
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose-asd/https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/nhs-services/right-to-choosehttps://www.drsj.co.uk/psychiatry-uk-right-to-choose
You mention in your profile that your father thinks you may also have ADHD. It may be worth asking your GP to make a joint referral (ie for both Autism and ADHD assessment), as they can quite often exist together (as can OCD, which you mention you have).
In respect of ADHD (and if the results of the questionnaire support your suspicions), I'd suggest also taking a completed copy of the ASRS v1.1 form with you to your GP:
https://embrace-autism.com/asrs-v1-1/