Autism & ADHD Privately Funded Assessments For Late Diagnosed Women
Greetings Scope Team and members,
Im writing this message as I have now decided to privately fund an Autism and ADHD diagnosis for myself.
A kind family member has seen my suffering and distress and has offered to pay for me to get formally diagnosed as I just cant wait 2 1/2 years for the NHS to diagnose me. I just cant!!! My brain feels frazzled and I NEED help now!
Ive been begging the NHS for mental health help support and it feels like im just going round in circles being pushed from pillar to post which has left me feeling EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED! Tourettes Syndrome, ADHD, Autistic burnout as well as suffering from Chronic Pain has been alot for me to manage at the moment to say the least
The question Id like to ask is, does anyone know of any reputable London based Autism/ADHD assessors/assessment teams who particularly specialise in diagnosing older women??? Im 51
Id really appreciate anyone who could advise me with some recommendations
Thank you all for reading
Comments
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Hi @Kiki23
I'm sorry to hear how tough things have been for you lately, it sounds like you have been through a lot! But it is good to hear that you have a kind family member supporting you through the assessment.
The National Autistic Society have a diagnostic and assessment service for adults. I am sure there are probably other clinics/practices out there that exist too and hopefully members of the community will be able share their experience soon😊1 -
Just make sure the assessment you go with can be used by the NHS. Some private assessments arn't recognised by the NHS and they won't recongise your diagnosis given by them.
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Greetings to you, Kiki!
How lucky you are to have that support to pursue your diagnoses. I'm very late diagnosed and it was essential for my mental health to have this validated.
Dr Lorna Wing, co-founder of the National Autistic Society did extensive research into girls and women on the spectrum. This from NAS Diagnostic and Assessment Service;
We provide exceptional autism diagnostic services for children, young people and adults
What you can expect from us
As the UK’s leading autism charity, we combine decades of expertise to ensure that everyone seeking a diagnosis has access to the highest standards of care.- Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO): A detailed, semi-structured interview with someone who knows the individual well, such as a parent or carer.
- Clinical interviews: One-on-one sessions tailored to the individual’s age and needs.
- Supplementary assessments: Including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and language or cognitive evaluations where necessary.
We aim to provide a summary report with an outcome on the day of the assessment. This is followed by a comprehensive report within six weeks of the assessment.
We use the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) alongside other assessment tools as recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
We are leading specialists
Our diagnostic service is run in partnership with other leading providers, all quality assured by the National Autistic Society.- We offer specialist assessment for those with potential other conditions including complex mental health, intellectual or learning disabilities, or other conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia.
- We are leading specialists in autism diagnostic assessments for women and girls.
- We are leading specialists in autism diagnostic assessments that require second or third opinions.
- As well as offering assessments directly, we partner with a small group of trusted organisations who meet our rigorous ethical and quality standards.
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Hey @WhatThe,
Thank you so much for your message…
I feel extremely lucky…I really do as I was starting to give up hope
To be honest ive been in a very very dark place this year and no one has been able to help me despite my cries for help. I first started to think I had autism 2 years ago but never discussed it with Drs at the time, simply because I had other health issues that I was dealing with. But it took for me to have a mini breakdown early this year to finally go to my GP begging for help and after the second appointment with her she agreed with me that there was a high chance I have it and done a referral. Also, I realised at that point that id been "masking very well" for over 30 years probably because I didnt know how else to be or feel and could never quite figure out why I could never solve the problems I was having despite having therapy (I was mostly treated for depression and Tourettes syndrome which was probably why the Autism was never picked up on by therapists)
It all makes so much sense now
On the bottom of your message it says,
"We offer specialist assessment for those with potential other conditions including complex mental health, intellectual or learning disabilities, or other conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia"
Does this mean they can also diagnose the ADHD at the same time?
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Thank you so much for that bit of advice Rubin
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Thank you so much Holly for your message and the links provided.
I will most definitely look at the website
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Kiki, I'm sorry I don't know but I would hope so and the NAS will be able to advise you. It can be difficult to separate neuro-developmental conditions. Some people describe themselves as AuDHD for example.
Somebody casually referred to my ADHD which I'd never considered even after my autism diagnosis but I've no need for a formal diagnosis. I know I am. Another assessment wouldn't change anything for me so I removed myself from the Psychiatry UK Right to Choose waiting list. I didn't want any more stress, uncertainty or to change my meds.
I think if I were in your position - starting from scratch - I'd want all of it! Psychiatry UK offers private assessments through accredited practitioners or you can request a referral through your GP for NHS-funded support and assessment. Whilst on the waiting list, they regularly checked in with me which was very reassuring.
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You're most welcome @Kiki23 😏
It was actually @Mary_Scope who helped, but I'll happily steal her thunder 😂
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Whoops!
Thank you for correcting me on that Mary 😊
Wishing you and Holly both a pleasant morning
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Thanks @Kiki23, you too 😊
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Thank you @Kiki23, hope you're having a lovely day😄
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Good morning @WhatThe and thank you so much for your message love….
Yes, I totally ABSOLUTELY 100% agree with you in regards for getting both tests at the same time…
Ive read on the website you sent me that my GP can refer me for this too so perhaps it might be a good idea to ask if she would refer me for both Autism and ADHD first (also ive noticed on the website you sent me that they are not accepting privately funded ADHD patients, ONLY Autism. BUT they are accepting both Autism and ADHD referrals from NHS GPs…Thats strange
The next battle I face now is handing over this information to my GP In a clear and calm manner (I seem to always struggle with talking once I get to the appointment and everything comes out all fast and wrong, especially as I have a good few other things that are going in my life at the moment that im struggling to cope with which contributes to me getting very overwhelmed and flustered)
I wish I had someone to help me communicate my needs and support me with things like talking and asking for things I need, going to appointments with me, filling in forms etc but I dont have anyone in my life to help me despite me pleading with social services to allocate me a mental health support worker for these very reasons
I cant remember what exactly the lady from social services told me why they cant allocate me a social worker (but it was something to the gist of "if you had autism and an IQ of under 50 we may be able to help you with a support worker but as your IQ is higher we cannot help you")
After she told me this my mind just went blank as I had completely shut down!
Ive never felt as alone in my struggles as I have these past few months….
The word " Help" sounds so lovely in the dictionary, However its this help that im struggling to receive for myself despite me "trying" to ask for it…..
Oh well, hopefully things will change for me soon and eventually a right door will open up for me to get the help and support I feel I need and have been asking for x
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This is a very good point that many people overlook, especially with wanting an ADHD assessment. My sister was unable to get ADHD medication after her diagnosis by a private clinic, as the NHS didn't recognise them. So she had to wait an additional 2 years to get an NHS diagnosis.
I've had to book my ASD and ADHD assessments separately, but some clinics do offer joint assessments. I'm actually still awaiting my ADHD diagnosis, but I'm definitely AuDHD. But just having the ASD diagnosis has really opened up various pathways for help in my life now, so fingers crossed it'll do the same for you @Kiki23 ❤️1
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