Adult Diagnosis and Identification

The process may vary according to your region, but diagnosis through the NHS generally starts with a referral for assessment from your GP or another healthcare professional.

Some people choose a private diagnosis if the waiting list is long, although this can be expensive. Depending on how you feel about the process, you might experience some anxiety regarding the appointment. It can help to look at current diagnostic guidelines and keep personal notes of specific examples from your own life. Rather than trying to brainstorm everything at once, you can simply add to your notes as things come up over time.

It can sometimes be upsetting if a diagnosis is not confirmed. It is important to remember that a diagnosis is an official record and does not change your own internal understanding of yourself.

People can be diagnosed at absolutely any age. Late-diagnosed adults often report feeling validated after a lifetime of feeling different for reasons they could not explain. For others, the experience is more complicated. They may feel grief for their younger self or discomfort regarding a label they previously perceived as negative. There is no wrong way to feel about it.

Whether you seek a formal diagnosis or choose to self-identify, community support can be incredibly helpful. This may be found online or in person, ranging from formal advocacy groups to informal circles of friends. Autistic self-advocates have built many inclusive spaces in recent years, so it is worth searching online or checking with your local authority to see what is available in your area.

You might also find that you already have a community built in. There is strong evidence that autism is genetic, meaning it often runs in families. Some late-diagnosed adults find that friends within their existing social circle also begin to realise why they have always understood each other so well, leading them to seek their own identifications.