Assessment over

Congratulations on your diagnosis!

I had a similar experience in respect of being on the NHS waiting list, before switching to RTC via the same provider as you. After all the stress of waiting and the assessment itself, my own diagnosis then turned out to be the start of a new journey, rather than a conclusion full of solutions.

In terms of immediate next steps, I'd suggest giving yourself some time and breathing space to process and absorb everything that you've been through, and let your feelings settle down.

The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or helpful:

NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis

NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

• Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
• Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
• Formal support following an autism diagnosis
• What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

My assessment report included some actions for my GP (various referrals, plus some medication recommendations for my mental health issues), along with a list of standard suggestions for me at the end.

From my and others' experiences of being assessed via RTC, I should flag that ongoing support beyond the point of diagnosis might not be offered as seamlessly as it should be - or sometimes even at all - compared to the NHS pathway. So, just by way of warning, it might be the case that you will need to take a more active role than you might expect in ensuring that you receive the further support that you're entitled to.

A common next step - and one of the GP recommendations in my report - was for them to arrange therapy. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

Before having this, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book. It discusses various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful. In my case I chose to have counselling (via the NHS), led by someone experienced in helping neurodivergent clients:

The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

This book also taught me some important principles and enabled me to make some immediate, helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

Congratulations on your diagnosis!

I had a similar experience in respect of being on the NHS waiting list, before switching to RTC via the same provider as you. After all the stress of waiting and the assessment itself, my own diagnosis then turned out to be the start of a new journey, rather than a conclusion full of solutions.

In terms of immediate next steps, I'd suggest giving yourself some time and breathing space to process and absorb everything that you've been through, and let your feelings settle down.

The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or helpful:

NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis

NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

• Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
• Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
• Formal support following an autism diagnosis
• What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

My assessment report included some actions for my GP (various referrals, plus some medication recommendations for my mental health issues), along with a list of standard suggestions for me at the end.

From my and others' experiences of being assessed via RTC, I should flag that ongoing support beyond the point of diagnosis might not be offered as seamlessly as it should be - or sometimes even at all - compared to the NHS pathway. So, just by way of warning, it might be the case that you will need to take a more active role than you might expect in ensuring that you receive the further support that you're entitled to.

A common next step - and one of the GP recommendations in my report - was for them to arrange therapy. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

Before having this, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book. It discusses various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful. In my case I chose to have counselling (via the NHS), led by someone experienced in helping neurodivergent clients:

The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

This book also taught me some important principles and enabled me to make some immediate, helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!