Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
I am a 24 year old girl and I was diagnosed with autism about 3 weeks ago after being misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression my entire life. I am very happy and relieved with my diagnosis but feel completely lost and have no idea what to do next. I have recently heard of PIP and have considered applying, other than that I have no idea what kind of support or help I can receive. I work full time and live with my boyfriend, my parents aren’t very supportive as they just feel “guilty” they didn’t notice sooner. If anyone has any advice on what to do next I’d be extremely appreciative, thank you so much.
Welcome and congratulations on your diagnosis!
The NAS has recently updated its online resources covering diagnosis-related support. There's a lot of UK-focused information (including about benefits and support) here covering the stage you've reached - after diagnosis:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/after-diagnosis
There's also a great "welcome pack" here, offering by an autistic-run Australian charity, Reframing Autism:
https://reframingautism.org.au/service/welcome-pack/