Hello people,
I'm feeling very lost at the moment and would really appreciate some advice or stories.
I've just had a letter saying that I don't meet the criteria for a diagnosis of autism.
After years of research on autism in adult women and reading and listening their experiences, I finally thought I had an answer as to why I feel and think the way I do as I experience the same things.
I iust don't know where I go from here.
Hello, welcome to the forum 
I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling lost right now, it’s incredibly frustrating to spend so much time researching and finally feeling like you’ve found an answer, only to be told you don’t meet the criteria. It’s important to remember that diagnostic criteria, especially for autism, can sometimes fail to capture the experiences of adults and women, as it often presents differently. Women tend to mask more; and this can make it difficult if you had been heavily masking during your assessment. Just know that this outcome doesn’t invalidate the struggles or traits you’ve identified in yourself.
From here, you might want to ask for feedback from the assessment service, and check if they took everything you said into account. There may be a particular reason why they couldn’t diagnosis you, such as enough information about your childhood. So once you know what the reason was, you could work on getting more evidence that could change the outcome. It might also be worth having a chat with your GP and seeking a second opinion. Or you can focus on what you’ve learned about yourself and use strategies and supports that align with your needs, whether or not you have a formal diagnosis.
Can I ask, how was you assessed, webcam or in person? What provider assessed you? Do you feel you shared everything you felt was relevant that could be associated to autism? Sometimes traits overlap with other conditions, such as ADHD, could your traits more closely align with another condition?
Hello, welcome to the forum
I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling lost right now, it’s incredibly frustrating to spend so much time researching and finally feeling like you’ve found an answer, only to be told you don’t meet the criteria. It’s important to remember that diagnostic criteria, especially for autism, can sometimes fail to capture the experiences of adults and women, as it often presents differently. Women tend to mask more; and this can make it difficult if you had been heavily masking during your assessment. Just know that this outcome doesn’t invalidate the struggles or traits you’ve identified in yourself.
From here, you might want to ask for feedback from the assessment service, and check if they took everything you said into account. There may be a particular reason why they couldn’t diagnosis you, such as enough information about your childhood. So once you know what the reason was, you could work on getting more evidence that could change the outcome. It might also be worth having a chat with your GP and seeking a second opinion. Or you can focus on what you’ve learned about yourself and use strategies and supports that align with your needs, whether or not you have a formal diagnosis.
Can I ask, how was you assessed, webcam or in person? What provider assessed you? Do you feel you shared everything you felt was relevant that could be associated to autism? Sometimes traits overlap with other conditions, such as ADHD, could your traits more closely align with another condition?
