Self Diagnosis

Many people are challenged by the idea of self diagnosis. Autism/ADHD/AudHD diagnosed by a psychiatrist, or a doctor or a psychologist is somehow more “real”, at least to some people.

Here’s the thing, professional diagnosis, is a huge privilege. It’s the privilege of private insurance that covers this service. It’s the privilege to wait for years for a rare, hard to get publicly funded diagnosis. It’s the privilege to have parents who see your challenges and arrange this for you. It’s the privilege of a family where adults agree about what should happen next. It’s the privilege of enough money to cover the cost of assessment out of pocket. Diagnosis is the privilege of being able to find the right provider, even if you can meet the financial challenges.

Do you know how much psycho educational assessments cost? I’ve heard of providers who will charge 3000 dollars, split over two insurance years to try to lessen the burden. I’ve heard of providers (with long wait lists) who charge 6000 dollars, and you take the appointment when it comes. Diagnosis is a privilege.

Goderich, Ontario

Self diagnosis cannot get you workplace accommodation, it may not make a difference to your family or some of your friends. Self diagnosis does give you the ability to understand what is happening and why it happens. It gives you the ability to create some self accommodation. It may allow you to be kinder to yourself about what can and cannot be.

There are limits to self diagnosis. It’s possible to misunderstand the questions in online tests, it’s possible that you don’t quite meet the diagnostic criteria, exhibiting traits rather than a condition. All current testing for Autism is slanted to wards an older, white male-oriented model of diagnosis.

If you have suspicions and you’re interested in more information or in taking an online test, I’d like to suggest Embrace Autism. They offer testing, but their website is well built and can take you on your own Neurodivergence journey.

https://embrace-autism.com/

If you want to jump straight to some online tests

https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/

I want to caution you that these tests cannot make the diagnosis for you. They can let you know if you’re on the right path, but to have an official diagnosis for workplaces or school, you would need to find a qualified provider to administer a more comprehensive series of questionnaires. If you’re looking for a provider, please ensure that they have experience diagnosing adults and women (if you are either of these). A practitioner that primarily sees children many not have enough knowledge of adult presentation.

My work with Neurodivergent people is not based on a medical diagnosis, I will meet you where you are, and I believe you. My support for you is not contingent on a medical diagnosis.

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