Advice for Diagnosed Autistic Adults

Hello! I’m autistic too! (And ADHD + PTSD + Depression) ALL OF them were “late-diagnosed” only about a year ago. Receiving my autism diagnosis has been very validating and helpful for me. I went the route of finding a therapist via inclusivetherapists.com . She is private pay (does not accept insurance) which is the only downside as it is more expensive per session. The process of me getting my diagnosis was gentle and slow. I first built up my relationship with my therapist, and she gained my trust, and she was like yep you’re definitely autistic lol. She allows me to be open with her and unmask. Unfortunately this is not how others diagnosis process goes. The typical route of autism diagnosis is to go though an Autism assessment center. The process is designed for young children and not for adults (especially females). I’ve heard it can be a traumatizing process. Insurance also won’t typically cover it over a certain age. And it could cost thousands of dollars. I really recommend finding an autism or nuerodivervent AFFIRMING (that’s the key word) therapist. Which is easier said than done! A good sign is that their not afraid of the word “autistic” and if they have the understanding that a lot of autism “professionals” don’t actually know that much about actually autistic people. Also trying searching keywords on TikTok! Like autism inclusive therapists or nuerodivervent therapists, stuff like that. Good luck to you! I understand the struggle 🥺❤️