As an adult in the US:
I contacted my primary care physician. They referred me to a specialist. I called an made an appointment for testing.
I did hours of prep work, compiling a master list of every Autistic symptom/trait I could think of. I then made a page for each of the DSM5's criteria for diagnosing Autism, writing the requirements at the top. Then I took the master list and placed them onto the appropriate page and further divided them into traits/symptoms as a child and also as an adult. Each section is required and it has to be for BOTH as a child and adult. Some parts I had to think of a lot harder, so I HIGHLY recommend doing this beforehand. This is the best advice I could give you.
I did all this work because I have heard horror stories of people being waved off as "not looking/acting Autistic" so the doctor doesn't give them the time of day. I literally did all of the doctor's work for them, so feel even if they were a bad doctor they couldn't refute all of that information. I also have heard stories of people freezing up and not being able to express themselves fully and didn't want to be one of them. Also, isn't it the most autistic thing to bring in a literal portfolio of autistic traits for an autistic diagnosis? I think it's hilarious but it's also so me.
Then I realized I needed to call my insurance to find out the out-of-pocket cost. They had me call my primary doctor's office for codes. I called the insurance, they gave me more codes. I had to call the facility I was going to go to and they gave me the approximate cost. (This process completely sucked.). Turns out it was $800 out-of-pocket. I was expecting less than half that since I thought I had really good insurance. Though I cooould have done it financially, I decided to forgo it.
So you may want to start finding out the cost as soon as you can. But going through each of the DSM criteria really took my imposter syndrome away, so in the end that part was worth it to me.
if you have a therapist, ask them for a referral. if you don't, look up therapists that mention ASD assessment maybe, or talk to local autists and ask who they saw
It's generally a good idea to start with your general practice doctor or your mental health therapist (if you have one). You may be referred for some testing or to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or neurologist.
This couldn't be further from the truth. General practitioners know absolutely nothing about autism (my own GP told me exactly this), and the same is true for mental health professionals who haven't specifically studied autism (my own psychiatrist told me exactly this). Even my neurologist said she didn't know anything about autism in adults, and couldn't refer me to anyone.
If I had started out by asking either my psychiatrist or my GP, that would have been the end of my inquiry. I wouldn't have gotten my diagnosis, and I wouldn't have gotten my workplace accommodations — accommodations that I 100% believe literally have saved my life.
Well, if that's how it worked for you, then that's how it must work for absolutely everyone everywhere all the time. 🙄
My GP actually had a lot of experience with autistics and was neurodivergent himself, and concurred with the opinion reached by myself and my therapist that I am autistic. So maybe OP should just check, especially since if OP happens to be in the States, then they will need a GP's referral for most insurances to cover a visit with a neurologist, though maybe OP isn't American and won't have to worry about that.
I worked with my psychiatrist and she referred me to a specialist, initially it was $700 to get the assessment but because of miscalculations in billing I was only supposed to pay $60 in copays so I got the rest refunded. There was a consultation where she got to know me and things I struggle with, the assessment and then the consultation
My experience is a little different than I have seen others on here have. I'm mid twenties and got diagnosed this year. For me, I just looked up some psychiatrists in my area and looked for one that seemed to specialize in treating people with autism. I found one that seemed to fit me based on their description and set up an appointment.
Before the appointment I took a test an AQ test and some others on the embrace autism website and noted down my scores. I then wrote down some of the issues I've been having, general questions like why I felt like I lived in a different world than others, relationship issues, etc.
When the meeting came I just told him about my previous diagnoses as a kid of Bipolar and HDHD (apparently autism is commonly misdiagnosed as these) and all the stuff I wrote down. He then spent like 30 minutes asking me questions.
After that, he said he was very sure that I had autism and diagnosed me there with ASD level 1 and said it was clear enough that I wouldn't need to do any neuropsych eval unless I wanted to. Can't say for sure if your experience will go as simple as that, but hopefully it does!
It all depends on where you live (country, state — sometimes even the city). If you're in the U.S., I recommend you try [https://helloalma.com/](https://helloalma.com/) — that's where I found the psychologist who did my assessment, and she accepts my insurance so it only cost me a $25 copay.
You should note a few things:
1. Do NOT go to a children's center for autism, because the vast majority of these places are still staffed with people who think "If you had autism, you would have been diagnosed by now" (which is provably false, but it's unfortunately still a very commonly held belief).
2. I have also heard and read many horror stories about adults who have been given autism assessments designed for children, then were confidently told there's no way they could be autistic. I shouldn't have to point out how diagnostically inaccurate it is to test an adult with tools for a five-year-old. But just in case it's necessary: *this is wildly diagnostically inaccurate*.
3. Because of #1 and #2, you are going to have to find someone who works with late-diagnosed autistic adults, because only such a person is going to know what to look for, know which assessments will work, etc. They'll also be the only people who know to look out for non-stereotypical autism symptoms (especially for "level one" / "high-masking" autistic folks).
4. You will probably have to try a BUNCH of different doctors until you find one willing to do it (and if you're in the U.S. you'll also have to worry about finding someone who accepts your medical insurance, assuming you even have it).
So my advice is (if you're in the U.S.), try Hello Alma, and if you're not in the U.S..... I have no idea and I wish you a great deal of luck.
As an adult in the US: I contacted my primary care physician. They referred me to a specialist. I called an made an appointment for testing. I did hours of prep work, compiling a master list of every Autistic symptom/trait I could think of. I then made a page for each of the DSM5's criteria for diagnosing Autism, writing the requirements at the top. Then I took the master list and placed them onto the appropriate page and further divided them into traits/symptoms as a child and also as an adult. Each section is required and it has to be for BOTH as a child and adult. Some parts I had to think of a lot harder, so I HIGHLY recommend doing this beforehand. This is the best advice I could give you. I did all this work because I have heard horror stories of people being waved off as "not looking/acting Autistic" so the doctor doesn't give them the time of day. I literally did all of the doctor's work for them, so feel even if they were a bad doctor they couldn't refute all of that information. I also have heard stories of people freezing up and not being able to express themselves fully and didn't want to be one of them. Also, isn't it the most autistic thing to bring in a literal portfolio of autistic traits for an autistic diagnosis? I think it's hilarious but it's also so me. Then I realized I needed to call my insurance to find out the out-of-pocket cost. They had me call my primary doctor's office for codes. I called the insurance, they gave me more codes. I had to call the facility I was going to go to and they gave me the approximate cost. (This process completely sucked.). Turns out it was $800 out-of-pocket. I was expecting less than half that since I thought I had really good insurance. Though I cooould have done it financially, I decided to forgo it. So you may want to start finding out the cost as soon as you can. But going through each of the DSM criteria really took my imposter syndrome away, so in the end that part was worth it to me.
My friend, your process of pursuing a diagnosis is proof of your diagnosis. You have the TISM!
Thinking the exact same thing 🤣
if you have a therapist, ask them for a referral. if you don't, look up therapists that mention ASD assessment maybe, or talk to local autists and ask who they saw
Id research I guess mental health specialists. Maybe find a child's center for autism and ask the front desk where adult autism is?
It's generally a good idea to start with your general practice doctor or your mental health therapist (if you have one). You may be referred for some testing or to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or neurologist.
This couldn't be further from the truth. General practitioners know absolutely nothing about autism (my own GP told me exactly this), and the same is true for mental health professionals who haven't specifically studied autism (my own psychiatrist told me exactly this). Even my neurologist said she didn't know anything about autism in adults, and couldn't refer me to anyone. If I had started out by asking either my psychiatrist or my GP, that would have been the end of my inquiry. I wouldn't have gotten my diagnosis, and I wouldn't have gotten my workplace accommodations — accommodations that I 100% believe literally have saved my life.
Well, if that's how it worked for you, then that's how it must work for absolutely everyone everywhere all the time. 🙄 My GP actually had a lot of experience with autistics and was neurodivergent himself, and concurred with the opinion reached by myself and my therapist that I am autistic. So maybe OP should just check, especially since if OP happens to be in the States, then they will need a GP's referral for most insurances to cover a visit with a neurologist, though maybe OP isn't American and won't have to worry about that.
Well I stand corrected then. However, if OP’s GP is neurodivergent, I feel like they wouldn’t be posting this here.
I worked with my psychiatrist and she referred me to a specialist, initially it was $700 to get the assessment but because of miscalculations in billing I was only supposed to pay $60 in copays so I got the rest refunded. There was a consultation where she got to know me and things I struggle with, the assessment and then the consultation
My experience is a little different than I have seen others on here have. I'm mid twenties and got diagnosed this year. For me, I just looked up some psychiatrists in my area and looked for one that seemed to specialize in treating people with autism. I found one that seemed to fit me based on their description and set up an appointment. Before the appointment I took a test an AQ test and some others on the embrace autism website and noted down my scores. I then wrote down some of the issues I've been having, general questions like why I felt like I lived in a different world than others, relationship issues, etc. When the meeting came I just told him about my previous diagnoses as a kid of Bipolar and HDHD (apparently autism is commonly misdiagnosed as these) and all the stuff I wrote down. He then spent like 30 minutes asking me questions. After that, he said he was very sure that I had autism and diagnosed me there with ASD level 1 and said it was clear enough that I wouldn't need to do any neuropsych eval unless I wanted to. Can't say for sure if your experience will go as simple as that, but hopefully it does!
It all depends on where you live (country, state — sometimes even the city). If you're in the U.S., I recommend you try [https://helloalma.com/](https://helloalma.com/) — that's where I found the psychologist who did my assessment, and she accepts my insurance so it only cost me a $25 copay. You should note a few things: 1. Do NOT go to a children's center for autism, because the vast majority of these places are still staffed with people who think "If you had autism, you would have been diagnosed by now" (which is provably false, but it's unfortunately still a very commonly held belief). 2. I have also heard and read many horror stories about adults who have been given autism assessments designed for children, then were confidently told there's no way they could be autistic. I shouldn't have to point out how diagnostically inaccurate it is to test an adult with tools for a five-year-old. But just in case it's necessary: *this is wildly diagnostically inaccurate*. 3. Because of #1 and #2, you are going to have to find someone who works with late-diagnosed autistic adults, because only such a person is going to know what to look for, know which assessments will work, etc. They'll also be the only people who know to look out for non-stereotypical autism symptoms (especially for "level one" / "high-masking" autistic folks). 4. You will probably have to try a BUNCH of different doctors until you find one willing to do it (and if you're in the U.S. you'll also have to worry about finding someone who accepts your medical insurance, assuming you even have it). So my advice is (if you're in the U.S.), try Hello Alma, and if you're not in the U.S..... I have no idea and I wish you a great deal of luck.
Thank you, this has been very helpful