How to Talk to a Doctor About Autism?

On Facebook there is a group called Autism Support Group Dallas Fort Worth they might be able to point you in the right direction. They have helped me understand more my step son is autistic

Drs can be very dismissive especially in perceived "milder" cases. My main suggestion would be to familiarize yourself with dsm-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic criteria (plenty of videos on YouTube to help break it down to understand better) and write down as much as you can remember from childhood and onwards about how you see those criteria in yourself. Drs who aren't specialized don't know the criteria so to prepare ahead of time can help you be taken more seriously to receive the referral you'd need to pursue a diagnosis.

This may sound like a smart a** answer, but just tell your Dr exactly what you've said here. If you feel you can't, you need to find another PCP that you can have a good relationship with. I can talk to mine and her NP about anything. They've always told me, there are no stupid questions and YOU know your body best. I wish you luck on your journey!

I believe you can't post with the autism label because you don't have it added as a condition. you can't post with labels of things you haven't added there to my knowledge. but! to the actual question. there are no actual medications for autism. some have been approved to be used in addressing the irritability that can be caused by autism, but unless you do experience that, you likely won't be given or considered for medication specifically for autism. so I would say there's less of a chance to be seen as someone seeking for drugs with this. but if they try despite this, unless they have proof of prior substance abuse issues resulting in drug seeking behavior, I don't think it should be allowed for them to refuse you. I could be wrong, though. I'd look up those laws if you can. doctors and other occupations sometimes rely on the patient or client to not know their own rights so they can get away with stuff like that. obviously not the same job field at all, but employers do this all the time. they rely on the person they're interviewing to not know their own rights so they can ask you questions that are literally illegal for them to ask. it's awful, but unfortunately a thing. about how to go about getting assessed... I don't have much advice for that other than perhaps find a mental health professional that has the credentials that allow them to diagnose things. you don't have to see a general doctor at all. if you search online there's websites like psychologytoday that you can input where you live, what your insurance is, and other things, and it'll show you professionals that meet the criteria you inputted. I'd suggest adding a speciality or experience in autism as a filter. not everyone is well informed of autism, so you may run into professionals who are misinformed and therefore can't help you. and if you get an appointment scheduled, I'd highly recommend mentioning your half brothers who are diagnosed. they'll probably ask you if there's a history of autism or other disorders anyway, but... autism has a strong genetic link, so the fact that your half brothers have it means there's a higher chance you do too and they'll be more likely to take you seriously.