What you need to know about getting an autism diagnosis

ladybuggy 11/19/2022 08:15 am 335

edit: I forgot to mention that I live in the U.S., so the policies may be different in your country if you are not in the U.S.

I originally made this to be a comment on a post but I think it was too long and didn’t sent. I later saw that a lot of people are planning to seek a diagnosis for autism, so I figured I should just make it its own post. I edited some words and sentences to better fit the format of a post. I made this with the intent for people who are under 18 read my post, but there’s still a lot of information for people over 18. Feel free to skip the parts that talk about parents.

Extremely long post incoming! I’ll try and break it up into paragraphs so that it’s easier to digest. If anyone has any questions or needs clarification feel free to let me know! (*^^*)

I’m autistic and was diagnosed earlier this year, and before that I was in the same boat as you. Since then, I have received more/specific accommodations for autism, as well as getting my dad to get tested and diagnosed. While my life has drastically improved because of a diagnosis, it was a very long and difficult path to get there.

I’m not a doctor or have any licensing and I’d like to make that very clear. At the end of the day the only one who can help you is a professional.

I order to get a diagnosis, you’ll need to get a referral (basically an invitation) to go to a specialist. You can get one by talking to your primary care physician if you have one. Your primary care physician is the person who you’d go to if you’re sick and who’d you get your yearly physicals done from. If you are already getting treatment for another illness and see a different doctor, like a psychiatrist, you can also ask them.

If you’re under 18, your parents will also have to check with their insurance to see if the specialist fits with their insurance plan. An autism diagnosis is pretty expensive without insurance, and can be expensive with it. I was fortunate enough to find a specialist close enough to my area that accepted my family’s insurance, but that is not always the case so be mindful of that.

If you don’t have any doctor you can go to, you might to ask your parents if your under 18 to go see one to get a referral. However, it is likely are that if you don’t have a doctor you typically go to you won’t be able to get a referral.

Something important to know about autism is that it is a developmental disorder, meaning it starts from a young age and continues throughout life. The first signs of autism include:

- sensitivity to lights, sounds, and textures
- delays in milestones such as speech (first words or making sentences)
- delays motor skills (walking, holding and using objects)
- not responding when name is called
- lack of eye contact
- trouble making friends
- repetitive movements (rocking back and forth, hand flapping)

There are more than what’s listed here, but this should give you a general idea of how autism presents in younger years. It is important to note that doctors and specialists will not diagnose you unless these symptoms track back to a younger age.

If you are going to tell your parents that you think you might be autistic, you need to be prepared to ask them questions about how you were like when you were little. Important tips for if you are telling them would be:

- know the common signs and symptoms of autism
- know how it presents in kids
- ask questions about if you had any symptoms when you were younger
- take note of your present day symptoms and see if they track back to a younger age

Effective communication skills is a must. You will need this if you tell your parents and if you tell a doctor, or your therapist if you have one. While most therapists cannot send referrals, they can open the door to get one. You can use a skill called DEARMAN (I just learned it in my therapy group and it has worked amazingly) to get your point across. Not all the parts of the skill will apply to this, but appearing confident will be a major one to use. Here’s a link to a breakdown of what it is:

https://youtu.be/EC-M59r-0jg

Having autistic symptoms does not equal having autism, however the more you have and the more intense they are, the more likely you’d have it.

A lot of times if you go to see a professional and talk about autism they will blow it off. What I’ve found to be the most useful ways to get them to listen is to speak their language, figuratively. I’d also recommend using the DEARMAN skills here too.

- be specific, list time frames for when your symptoms started or give examples (such as, in kindergarten you had difficulty making friends and it’s still hard today)
- share how it has negatively affected you, they are looking for issues that need to be solved
- be open to their suggestions, and if your goal is to get a referral make that clear

I think that’s everything, I tried to make it include as much as possible so that anyone reading will have a better chance at getting services if they need it. I also tried to make it so that anyone at any step of the process can have an idea of what’s next to come.

Again, I’m not a doctor but I do know some of the procedures that take place. If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns feel free to let me know or message me. (o^^o)