An autism specialist is so expensive!

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I finally was able to find an autism specialist near my area. For the 1st appointment, where I bring information on my school performance and explain my childhood, the cost is $170. If the information from that appointment isn't sufficient enough for a diagnosis, then the cost of taking diagnostic exams can range from $790 to close to $2,000!
I have lousy insurance, in which I need to meet a $5,000 deductible before it starts to pay for everything. (Boy, the whole health care policy in the U.S. sure sucks.)
I am who I am, so maybe it's not worth worrying so much about an official 2nd/3rd opinion. But then again, I want to change my career and I feel that I might need help with career assistance and placement from the Department of Rehabilitation. (Oddly enough, my last case from the DOR was almost considered too severe to be accepted, even though my psychotherapist took up to a few years to diagnose me.)
Is there a government program where you can be reassessed for disabilities without much of an expensive fee? Can the DOR re-assess you?

If you're a run-of-the-mill case of AS, the initial $170 should suffice. "Experts" tends to know the manifestation/appearance of AS and AD quite well.

The initial one was enough in my case (within about 5 minutes of talking she said I had AS), and I was 25 at the time, so I mustn't be that obviously different in appearance, especially as I saw many psychologists and psychiatrists in a mental hostel who said I had OCD [and never brought up an ASD].

In my country, an AS diagnosis costs a fortune for adults and is free for children. Adults don't get any help from any insurance or gov't entity for the diagnosis. This means there are lots of adult Aspies who are undiagnosed because they'll never be able to afford it, since Aspies usually can't work. It's doubly unfair because when we were children there was no AS diagnosis, so there's no way we could've been diagnosed back then. It's plain meanness.

And God forbid, should you rub one of these 2 women the wrong way with a word you say, you'll never get a diagnosis and therefore no help from Social Security. You have to suck up to them and be very careful to stroke their egos at every turn or else.

It's all nastiness and exploitation of the suffering adults with AS, who have no way to help themselves.

Oh yes, it's always sunny. We all live and look just like the people from "Bay Watch" (Oh goodness, I can't be dating myself with that show, can I? ). It's all one big surf party all the time. With the movie stars, or course. And since the state is overflowing with money, and has no debts at all, our schools are magnificent. I just love our governor, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, more and more each day. He's my hero!


NOT!!

Actually it's a total mess.

Yeah, FRANKLY, minors(those under 18 and TECHNICALLY under 25 in this case) shouldn't talk about such things. They misrepresent, and really don't know what they are talking about. Children have about five things going for them:

1. They are in school, and such things are generally covered by the school.
2. They affect jobs that are generally union, so the unions will fight for them.
3. They are children, and people care more about kids.
4. If you are under 25, you are often covered under your PARENTS health insurance!! !! !

Just wait until he is 25+ and/or moves out, and has to do things HIMSELF! THEN he'll get it!

Acacia, I guess we'll have to activate for our rights without you.

I work to change what I can, but don't worry unduly about the things that remain out of my control

That's four things, not five...


Wait, are you talking about me?

Acacia, as I said, it's not a law of Nature. It's exploitation and it would continue if we didn't do something about it. We are working to change it, and we're doing it without you because you believe that you can't change it.