It's official

[spaceman]

Congrats to you! I am looking into getting diagnosed finally. However, I dont have insurance, and the psychologists I called want like $1500 or so for the whole process . Does anyone have any tips on what I can do? Also can you guys detail the process of getting diagnosed? Thanks in advanced!

Wow. All that money

So lucky in UK for our NHS.
For me it was two visits to mental health team some cbt. Didn't answer my stuff, so back to mental health team, (was lucky to see something on TV, that sounded familiar, was a lady with a.s. )

I mentioned that. Then she pulled out a question sheet. Needed 6/10 score I had 9. So referee to assessment.

Assessment was split over 5 sessions. A few days or a week in between. Questions, talking, remembering stuff,

My mother had 2 sessions. Questions, memoirs.

Then on the penultimate session, all tests, about 3 or 4, 50 questions each.

Yesterday brief chat. Confirmation, explanation, saw the charts. All in all took 3 months since mental health knew about autism. So add a month for referral from GP to mental health. About 4-5 months. No cost.
I'm so sorry, it's expensive for people not in uk. We are fortunate. How long it will last though is up for debate. It's under pressure.

 

[ksheehan88]

I'm pleased you have an answer
I was officially diagnosed with AS on Monday last week so I am in a similar position to you at the moment - relief is most what I felt once it had sunk in.

 

[ksheehan88]

Wow. All that money

So lucky in UK for our NHS.
For me it was two visits to mental health team some cbt. Didn't answer my stuff, so back to mental health team, (was lucky to see something on TV, that sounded familiar, was a lady with a.s. )

I mentioned that. Then she pulled out a question sheet. Needed 6/10 score I had 9. So referee to assessment.

Assessment was split over 5 sessions. A few days or a week in between. Questions, talking, remembering stuff,

My mother had 2 sessions. Questions, memoirs.

Then on the penultimate session, all tests, about 3 or 4, 50 questions each.

Yesterday brief chat. Confirmation, explanation, saw the charts. All in all took 3 months since mental health knew about autism. So add a month for referral from GP to mental health. About 4-5 months. No cost.
I'm so sorry, it's expensive for people not in uk. We are fortunate. How long it will last though is up for debate. It's under pressure.

I had to wait almost a year for assessment. Had to fill in a total of 4 questionnaires, plus one my Mum had to do. I had one appointment which lasted about two hours and got a diagnosis there and then.

 

[WereBear]

Congrats to you! I am looking into getting diagnosed finally. However, I dont have insurance, and the psychologists I called want like $1500 or so for the whole process . Does anyone have any tips on what I can do? Also can you guys detail the process of getting diagnosed? Thanks in advanced!

Can't help you. I'm in the US, have what is considered "good" insurance, had to battle the company to find someone, was told to seek diagnosis, then they refused to pay for it.

Good thing there is nothing medical science can do for me anyway...

I also thought I would have some kind of disability protection, but turns out that's not so either. Like they say, autism stops when you turn 18.

 

[spaceman]

I had to wait almost a year for assessment. Had to fill in a total of 4 questionnaires, plus one my Mum had to do. I had one appointment which lasted about two hours and got a diagnosis there and then.

Wow, apart from the first wait, it was straight forwards? Where do you live? UK?

 

[ksheehan88]

Wow, apart from the first wait, it was straight forwards? Where do you live? UK?

Yeah I'm in Cornwall. It was just the initial wait that was drawn out. She asked lots of questions about when I was young, about my interests, social life. Some of the answers to her questions prompted her to ask me if I was aware that my answer was something they would look for in someone with AS. At the beginning she said she had a couple of theories in mind and as we spoke more she started to eliminate the other theories, such as BPD. She laughed when I was asked how I found the SQ and I said I didn't put much thought into it as I was more bothered by the fact my answers made a pattern then went out of sync which annoyed me lol.

 

[spaceman]

Can't help you. I'm in the US, have what is considered "good" insurance, had to battle the company to find someone, was told to seek diagnosis, then they refused to pay for it.

Good thing there is nothing medical science can do for me anyway...

I also thought I would have some kind of disability protection, but turns out that's not so either. Like they say, autism stops when you turn 18.

That's shocking. I'd hate to be in the U.S. I'm 39, had my diagnose on the NHS, happened in months. And I get access to services, help in work. Though I haven't tried to see what actual help I get, as I only just found out.

But the help is there, luckily in Wales. I feel bad for so many here on this forum. It's a tragedy.

 

[spaceman]

Yeah I'm in Cornwall. It was just the initial wait that was drawn out. She asked lots of questions about when I was young, about my interests, social life. Some of the answers to her questions prompted her to ask me if I was aware that my answer was something they would look for in someone with AS. At the beginning she said she had a couple of theories in mind and as we spoke more she started to eliminate the other theories, such as BPD. She laughed when I was asked how I found the SQ and I said I didn't put much thought into it as I was more bothered by the fact my answers made a pattern then went out of sync which annoyed me lol.

Ha Ha, the pattern thing. Aspie as hell, yes in hind sight I was answering my own issues too.

Like when she asked: am I more into the details or the big picture- I was like, "well that depends on what angle I'm approaching it from and if your angle is the same as mine and how to work out who's angle is right and then I can think about... " she said stop..... right think what your doing...?

"Fussing over details"?
OK in simple terms then yes. Details. Haha

 

[Coupe]

I am so glad to hear that you are feeling relieved and in a good place right now. Congratulations!

 

[spaceman]

I am so glad to hear that you are feeling relieved and in a good place right now. Congratulations!

Thank you guys. Thank you all. I'm feeling normal normal. Lime me normal. It's great.

 

[pjcnet]

I would also like to offer my congratulations!

Congrats to you! I am looking into getting diagnosed finally. However, I dont have insurance, and the psychologists I called want like $1500 or so for the whole process . Does anyone have any tips on what I can do? Also can you guys detail the process of getting diagnosed? Thanks in advanced!

I'm not too familiar with your country, but is there any charities that might help get you officially diagnosed for free or very cheaply? In the UK we are still lucky to have a National Health Service, even though arguably the service has many shortfalls and is constantly short of funding, we get most treatment and diagnosis paid by tax payers (there still has to be a good reason for an autistic diagnosis however, it's often not automatically given on request).