1y ago

Is an autism diagnosis worth it?

I ask this because of the cost. I am willing to pay for an assessment in the lower end of the high cost range which assessments typical have. However, I want to know what it would do for me, if I already have enough evidence showing I'm autistic? I want a therapist who can help me with struggles relevant to being autistic. But I don't know what an assessment would actually give me? I can see it potentially giving me access to a good therapist who specialises in autism. But can I do that without an assessment?

For those of you who are diagnosed, what has it done for you? Did it make any meaningful difference in your situation?

15 comments

It could give you legal protections from discrimination.
If you're in the USA it's a toss up between the power of employers to fire at will and the notably influential ADA.
So you'd be taking a risk by declaring it to an employer you didn't trust anyway.
In other countries you can get government support etc with your therapy (and other things).
Plus knowing what kind of autism you have can help direct your care and coping strategies, which could greatly improve your quality of life

While there is no medicine for autism itself, there are certain medications that help to better cope with the symptoms to improve one's overall quality of life (antidepressants, stimulants, anti-anxiety stuff) and if you're not officially diagnosed by a qualified doctor, you might not be able to get those. The same for certain state & federal services, access to specialized therapy etc. which - bluntly speaking - do not care about self-diagnosed conclusions, no matter how accurate. For most things that involve any form of bureaucracy, you need something "official".
That being said; if you happen to currently not need / want anything "locked" behind an official assessment (like finding a therapist that you're comfortable with who does not want to see a prior diagnosis), and the cost is so much of an issue that you would need to decide between getting assessed and getting bankrupt, then it is probably better to wait a little longer.

Basically the same as all the other commenters before me. It absolutely makes sense for a plethora of reasons, if you can afford it.
Where I live, you don’t have to pay shit for a diagnosis, it just takes long and you basically need help getting there either a friend who is inquisitive or some other person who has your back.
In any case, you have been „disabled“ all your life. That’s not going to change through diagnosis. What changes is your legal stance. If someone mocks you for being autistic, this can now become a hatecrime (hyperbole but you get the gist I hope).
Wish you tons of luck on your journey. Have a good one.

Tests and diagnoses are pieces of information that add to a holistic understanding of a person. More information is always preferred. It allows you to frame your thinking more effectively. If possible for you, I would definitely go ahead.

If a diagnosis can help improve your quality of life then yes it's important.
- This. I've always known, but never got diagnosed. After struggling through life, I thought I could get help. So I was tested and got a plethora of things I wasn't expecting. Now I'm being treated for other things and the ASD diagnosis only confirms what I had always known about why things are different (i.e. I didn't always know I had ASD, but I've always known that things are different). But my life is undoubtedly better now and had I grown up in a healthy environment, I may have known all these things much earlier and may not have needed to struggle for so long.

Mine is in a few weeks. Here is why I am doing it.
it is free in my area, though it's taken a few years to get here.
I am focusing on my mental heath. I've been seeing a therapist for awhile. Knowing if I am autistic may help me in finding and navigating some of my mental blocks. I often lack a nerutypical perspective when empathy is very important to me. I also possess a lot of self hate so in theroy this may help me take it easy on myself.
Am I finding some of my "quirks" are getting stronger as I get older. I've gotten even more unfocused and exhausted. The diagnosis may help me get treatment for these problems before they get too bad. Though that will probably just be dietary.
- Am I finding some of my “quirks” are getting stronger as I get older.
  I've noticed increase exponentially since I was diagnosed. It's like I realized that I was masking and not everyone else is also trying to act normal, so I rebelled by slowly removing the mask while I connect with my true self. Now, I'm extra quirky and it continues to intensify to the point that I almost insist on not wearing a mask at any time. I still wear one that's a bit transparent at work to keep things running smoothly, but my mask is nowhere as covering as it used to be.
  I’ve gotten even more unfocused and exhausted.
  I've experienced something similar, but I take it as I'm acknowledging my needs. Rather than force myself to accomplish all tasks by sheer will and dissociating from my sensory input and emotions, I acknowledge them and take steps to avoid over doing while also time to recover.
  With both of these together, I would say that I'm the most me I've ever been, and that has given me a sense of peace I hadn't experienced before. It's pretty odd, but in a really good way.
  
  Thanks for sharing. I'm still dealing with the concern that if I become more me, and less.of a workaholic, it'll negatively impact my career.
  I think living my truth whould be me sleeping a lot more and generally more lazy. Though I'm currently aiming to improve my career, aiming for a promotion and pay off the mountain of debit I've been struggling under.
  However the reality is that I have burst if productively where I get weeks of work done. Most of the day I am on lemmy here, or in a state of half sleep untill quitting time. I just jiggle my mouse so teams shows me as availible. So I'm not really all that productive now. But the illusion that I'm working hard for 8 hours a day in more important then what I am actually doing I guess.
  What's worse is I like my job, it's good work that actually helps people. So unproductive days just feel awful.

I got a diagnostician to assess, but not diagnose, me. Basically, I was interviewed and tested for several hours, until she felt she could come to a conclusion (yep, I’m ND). I did not bother getting a diagnostic report with all the associated family interviews etc. etc. because I do not need additional supports (other than therapy). The diagnostician gave me the names of therapists with experience working with autists. I feel I got the best of both worlds - inexpensive speedy assessment and the ability to tell doubting family that an independent expert says I am indeed autistic.

For me, despite having two friends of 7 years that are psychologists, a relationship therapist imply it, and my psychologist share considerable suspicion, I still wanted to be sure. I had that "What if I'm just making it up?" impostor syndrome. Getting legitimate confirmation was important to me since I had been misdiagnosed in the past. With the confirmation, I was also able to engage fully in steps to improve my life since I could investigate changes that help autistic people. The other benefit was that it granted me access to autism services, such as support and specialized therapy. Overall, I think it was 100% worth what I paid for the evaluation, and in fact, I would pay double for the same thing.

I just paid $3,300 for a diagnosis. I used a flexible spending account, which meant that that was pre-tax money. I felt that it was worth it, because of the possibility of having certain protections available to me in the future if they're needed(for example, in employment, and possibly some day unemployment). It also provided closure to know instead of just suspect for the rest of my life. I am glad that I went through with the diagnosis. It also led to diagnosis of not just autism, but some other things, as well. Keep that possibility in mind that autism might not be the only thing they diagnose you with, and that might provide you knowledge or might help you in some way.

15 comments