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Overdiagnosis narrative and the impact on NHS assessments

Ishfish100

Hi all, am new here.

Decided to join this community because I saw other people have conflicting autism diagnoses (one positive one negative) and wanted to raise a question.

Some background: In 2024, after the worst burnout of my life, I decided it was imminently important for me to seek an autism diagnosis. The lack of understanding for why I was feeling the way I was feeling felt life threatening to me. ADHD is definitely part of the picture but it didn't explain the whole story for me (still on assessment waiting list for that). So while I was on the waiting list, I had a private assessment as I couldn't wait the 2 to 3 years for the NHS one.

The private assessment concluded that I was indeed autistic and it set me down a path of self acceptance and combating internalised ableism, and it allowed me to give myself grace and understanding as well as from the people closest to me. I ended up taking myself off the NHS waitlist as I thought "I've got my diagnosis, I won't take up space on the list". 

Fast forward to this year (Oct 2026), after having been told by the GP to put myself back on the list, I had an NHS assessment. This assessment concluded that I didn't meet the criteria for autism. I basically broke down because it didn't make any sense to me, I didn't have any other good explanations for why I am the way I am. I asked them how they accounted for masking and internalised symptoms, and their answer boiled down to "the ARDOS accounts for that and we would be able to tell, since the assessment is a novel environment that would stop an autistic person from being able to mask enough for us not to notice". I wasn't particularly impressed with that answer, and after reading the report they sent and comparing it to my private one, it just smells fishy.

During my private assessment, the 2nd part included meeting a psychiatrist to RULE OUT other potential explanations for my experience, and it came to the conclusion that autism was the best explanation. 

So basically, I want to ask if anyone else has had this experience lately, and if anyone thinks that the government narrative of "overdiagnosis" that they continue to push despite the review showing the opposite has affected NHS assessments to the point where unless you are, for lack of a better phrase, noticeably autistic, you're going to struggle to get diagnosed?

My father who did the parental interview said that it seems clear to him even in the questions they were asking that they had already come to the conclusion that I wasn't autistic. And the ARDOS boiled down to "she speaks well, can smile and laugh, and has an imagination, therefore can't be autistic". Just feel like it's been very reductive and I will be seeking a second opinion from my GP.

Thanks for reading and I'd appreciate hearing others' experiences.

  • Hi, i have sadly not anything like this but i have had somewhat a similar Experience when i was trying to get Diagnosed with Savior anxiety and depression and it was so stupid it got to the point of me ACTALLY breaking down into tears on the phone to the Primary mental health team because they refused to do anything with a Diagnose for what i was asking them for as they were always playing it off as i was just having Mental Issues that were not Massive effects on my life and just Down right refusing to do anything else. Finally got them to listen and do the test and found out basiclly what i was expecting to hear wich was i do infact have Savior anxiaty and depression. But i am trying to get everything i need to get a Dignoses for OCD,ADHD,BPD and Autism as i can 100% say that i have fully or some traits from all 4 of these things. 

    The NHS are amazing in the terms of they can do amazing work depending on the situation you are currently having as i mentioned but also i feel the Government and the NHS are more than less people who say they don't care about the Mental issues you might have in your case Autism as they only ever seem to care when it benefits them Most, If your on there waiting list they will try everything to get you seen with the correct stuff, But on the other hand its almost like they lack the Ability or even just care because they see it everyday and its really sad to see. They always find a way to make you dot yourself massively and that playas a Massive part in what they attempt to do without Actually trying to put you down. So yeah i have never had anything like what you have just said and im so sorry to hear that they miss Diagnosed you and even Over Diagnosed you but yeah i had something simpler to this and all i can really say is the more you keep pushing them and pushing them eventually they will see what they have missed and Hopefully give you the correct Diagnoses.

  • Hi, I don't have such experience unfortunately,  my private assessment starts in two days. What feels irritating here is that there is no agreement between the assessors about giving the "yes" or "no" diagnosis. The criteria (at the end) state, that even compensating / masking individuals should be eligible for a diagnosis. 

    I decided I have no more power to get busy with the topic "overdiagnosis" and Uta Frith. If they change the criteria, change the classification etc, I don't mind having a diagnosis that has different name. Most important thing is how this or that diagnosis would help me.