The Student Room Group

should I just go private for an autism assessment?

should I just go private for an autism assessment? I've been put on a waiting list but nothings happening and I'm having trouble coping with lots of things. I'm losing hope. would you recommend going private? is all that money worth it? should I search online and are there any websites you'd recommend?
What are you hoping to get from a diagnosis? This really depends on how old you are and what phase of your life you are in.
If you’re in school or college still then support should be needs based and you need to ask for it, having a diagnosis versus trying to get one doesn’t always make much of a difference.
For uni some unis require a diagnosis to get support so in that case check if they’ll accept private assessments and if this is the only way to get timely support it seems sensible if you can afford it. However some unis do offer support for those seeking a diagnosis but yet to be diagnosed so check with them if this is your scenario.
If you are in employment a diagnosis would be beneficial and I think they care less about whether its nhs or private so if you need it to get reasonable adjustments from your employer then go for it.
Im currently waiting for an nhs assessment but being given support with a provisional diagnosis, I am currently not in a position to pay to be assessed privately. If you’re over 18 there are services that are cheaper if you do them over zoom and they will still give you a diagnosis without meeting with you in person which could be more convenient
I hope you get what you need and your life becomes easier in the future
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous
What are you hoping to get from a diagnosis? This really depends on how old you are and what phase of your life you are in.
If you’re in school or college still then support should be needs based and you need to ask for it, having a diagnosis versus trying to get one doesn’t always make much of a difference.
For uni some unis require a diagnosis to get support so in that case check if they’ll accept private assessments and if this is the only way to get timely support it seems sensible if you can afford it. However some unis do offer support for those seeking a diagnosis but yet to be diagnosed so check with them if this is your scenario.
If you are in employment a diagnosis would be beneficial and I think they care less about whether its nhs or private so if you need it to get reasonable adjustments from your employer then go for it.
Im currently waiting for an nhs assessment but being given support with a provisional diagnosis, I am currently not in a position to pay to be assessed privately. If you’re over 18 there are services that are cheaper if you do them over zoom and they will still give you a diagnosis without meeting with you in person which could be more convenient
I hope you get what you need and your life becomes easier in the future

hi. i'm 18 and going to apply for uni for 2025 entry. I'm hoping to get some extra support I guess. my motivation is in the negatives right now and I don't know what to do
Original post by Anonymous
hi. i'm 18 and going to apply for uni for 2025 entry. I'm hoping to get some extra support I guess. my motivation is in the negatives right now and I don't know what to do

Do you know which unis you’d like to apply to? If so it might be worth contacting them, especially if you might need to do an admissions test or interview or anything but also just to ask what support you can access. It varies between unis but some are happy to provide support if you have a letter confirming your referral as there is understanding that the process for assessment takes years. The sooner you ask for support, the more likely it is it can be put in place for the start of your studies so looking into what could be offered to you early is a great idea.
Id also advise having a look for information about the support they provide on their website, this can give you a better idea of what support you can ask for- maybe base this a little on what you’re worried about and also what helped/you think could have helped you in sixth form.
Also something to add is that at uni you have to initiate the support, ask for what you need and advocate for yourself! So you really need to focus on figuring out what it will be that you’ll need and then asking how you can get it.
I hope this helps and happy to talk further
Original post by Anonymous
should I just go private for an autism assessment? I've been put on a waiting list but nothings happening and I'm having trouble coping with lots of things. I'm losing hope. would you recommend going private? is all that money worth it? should I search online and are there any websites you'd recommend?

Personally I would NOT wait for the NHS for anything at all, they are not in anyway reliable any longer. I say this as someone who believes that I may well have long UNdiagnosed autism myself. Please tell me what symptoms you have which you believe are signs of Autism, if you dont mind ?.
Original post by Anonymous
should I just go private for an autism assessment? I've been put on a waiting list but nothings happening and I'm having trouble coping with lots of things. I'm losing hope. would you recommend going private? is all that money worth it? should I search online and are there any websites you'd recommend?

I was referred for an assement, I got it after 4 years and 10 months. If you have the money, go private. I needed so much help in that time and I didn't get it because I didn't have that box checked. Hope this helps :smile:

Quick Reply