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davdev17
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28 Jan 2017, 2:05 am

I have self-diagnosed myself with high-functioning ASD. I would like to get a professional diagnosis because then people might actually take me seriously, but my mom doesn't see the point in getting it. I recently turned 18 and will be graduating high school in May and starting college in August. Is there any point in me getting a professional diagnosis? What are some reasons for why it would be good for me to get one?



iliketrees
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28 Jan 2017, 2:09 am

Accommodations at college.



ArielsSong
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28 Jan 2017, 4:44 am

Over the next few years you're going to become a lot more independent. That could be much easier if you get accommodations when you need them.

Personally, I 'use' my diagnosis to avoid phone calls with businesses, as they put me on the spot and cause me a lot of difficulty. So, when I'm required to call a company I instead contact them and say that I'm autistic, nominate someone to speak on my behalf or ask to deal with the situation by email. That saves me a lot of trouble.

I also struggled in employment, so I left and started up my own business. But, if I had to go into employment I would now let them know how my autism affects me there.



izzeme
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07 Mar 2017, 4:23 am

especially when starting college, a professional diagnosis can help a lot; i recommend you get one before you start there (if at all possible).

colleges, governments and employers are legally required to offer "reasonable accommodations" to allow you to perform to the best of your ability, but if you do not have a diagnosis, they don't have to do anything.
Think about things like a single room (if having roommates is common, you get a room to yourself), extra time during exams, being allowed to make your exams in a seperate room (instead of the main hall), getting oral instead of written exams...

during work, you might be allowed extra breaks, reduced working times, an upgrade to a 1st-class public transport subscription card...

there are loads of quality-of-life improvements that can be requested, but all of them require an official diagnosis before they will be considered



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07 Mar 2017, 7:32 am

But, if you can get by without one you have the advantage of plausible deniability. You don't have to disclose you are on the spectrum if you don't have a professional diagnosis. Lying about it, even though it may legal, may result in a big problem between you and your boss, even if that isn't supposed to be legal. The absence of a professional diagnosis may not prevent you from getting accommodations from companies that realize that employees are real people. It depends on how government help will evolve over the next few decades.