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?
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.