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Adult diagnosis

Kimjo

Hi my son has just been diagnosed through the right to choose scheme . He is now 18 and it's taken me 14 years of hard work and fighting to get him assessed . It's been so hard for him and the family we've had social workers in our lives since he was little because I have mental health issues . I'm angry that my son was let down by the social services , his school and the child mental health team . He's at a stage now where he doesn't do anything . I'm trying my best to support him but I don't know where to start , any advice would be highly appreciated 

  • Hi and welcome to the community. 

    I'm sorry to hear that you and your son had to fight so hard to reach this point.

    Hopefully, his assessment report will provide some pointers for next steps, perhaps including arranging talking therapy via the NHS (which can be arranged via your son's GP, or potentially directly via NHS Talking Therapies)

    As a starting point, you might also find the resources here helpful:

    NAS - After Diagnosis

    They include, for example:

    NAS - Formal support following an autism diagnosis

    From my and others' experiences of being assessed and diagnosed by private providers (whether directly as a private patient or via Right to Choose (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 - and although it's probably the last thing you want to hear - it might be the case that you will need to continue to take a more active role than you might expect in ensuring that your son receives the further support that he's entitled to. 

    Before arranging therapy, you / he 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:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    Finally, I'll just mention a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:

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

    How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)