Getting Diagnosed in Australia

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I have a diagnosis from a psychologist (who specialises in ASD). I wasn't aware that a diagnosis from a psychologist may not be officially valid - I have read it before in a forum and blog, but I am pretty sure my psychologist would have mentioned it since he does these sort of things all the time. Is that really/still the case - and where do you have that information from? (Seeing the thread is from 2010).

I just told my GP that I suspected I had aspergers and asked for a referral to be assessed. She sent me to a psychiatrist or psychologist (cant remember which) who specialised in it. That was fully covered under medicare (I was allowed two free visits but only needed one). I went along and he diagnosed me in that 1 hour appointment. It was about 45 min worth of his asking me questions.

That sounds easy.

I have seen my psychologist through several years and didn't initially pursue a diagnosis. However, of course it isn't a coincidence I chose to see an ASD specialist in the first place... I had discovered there were strong similarities between my problems and mind style, and aspects of aspergers syndrome. I wasn't certain if I met the criteria though but it was close enough that a therapist who specialised in ASD would likely be a lot more helpful than one who didn't.

He did a diagnostic questionnaire with me in the start which sorted me on the aspie side of things, but I still wasn't sure if I met the official criteria... I had trouble understanding them (DSM-5 is much more clear) AND the questions in questionnaires, I found many of them ambiguous so I wasn't sure if my answers were 100% true. When I did raise the question after (I think) about a year or more, he expressed very sincerely that there is no doubt that I have aspergers. At that point I wasn't really in doubt anymore, and it was a relief to get it confirmed and settled. I think it was a good way. I know his opinion isn't based on assumptions or a poor first hand impression because he knows a lot about me, and he has shown many times that he figures me out quite well. He has also seen me both when I function poorly and when I'm at my best. So I fully trust the diagnosis, it is very solid, whether it is officially valid or not... if it is true that only a psychiatrist can diagnose ASD in Australia.

Hi Brennan

I was diagnosed with high functioning autism last month in Victoria. I am not a clinical professional, but I am happy to share my experience in the hopes it might help you...

My research suggested to me three main types of clinical professional in Australia who can assess autistic traits:

- a clinical psychologist
- a neuropsychologist.
- a psychiatrist.
Given my experiences with psychiatric mistreatment, I scratched that option out. There are probably further clinical options but I did not discover them.

I am on Newstart, so I need a bulk-billing specialist. I couldn't find an easily accessible bulk billing neuropsychologist in Melbourne. However, I was able to find a bulk billing clinical psychologist who specialises in autism spectrum disorders. I made an appointment to see her. I think it is important to find a professional you can trust, after all you will be going over the interesting and hairy details of your life.

Straight after making an appointment (with a six week wait), I paid a visit to my GP. I was already on the Centrelink Mental Health Care Program (MHCP), seeing a counsellor for PTSD. I suspended the remaining MHCP sessions with my PTSD counsellor, and got a referral from my GP to the clinical psyche. The autism assessment can be done on the MHCP, ask your GP about it if you are on Centrelink benefits. So in the end my assessment was government subsidised with my remaining MCHP sessions for the year.

The waiting time is a bit agonising, and no doubt you will be really eager to get to your truth, maybe even afraid of getting a diagnosis, or not being believed - that's what I went through anyway. In the meantime, I listed on paper all the reasons why I think I'm autistic, for I was afraid of being unable to speak up about it effectively (ridiculous in my case, I was a verbal torrent), but it did help me to prepare. I especially took care to illustrate how my previous misdiagnoses are all symptomatic of autism.

It can take up to six sessions to get an assessment. By the end of the second session, where the professional interviewed me and slyly filled in questionnaires (honestly, I didn't notice her doing that), my drugs history threw a spanner in the works. The clinician needed to be sure I didn't have some acquired brain injury through drug abuse. With my permission, she contacted my parents and interviewed them about my years from early childhood to leaving home. Had my parents been unavailable or unhelpful, I would have had to enlist the help of close friends, or granny, or similar. I also gave her permission to contact my PTSD counsellor. The parental interview was very helpful, and on my third session I had a high functioning autism diagnosis. Each session only cost me $140, and that was mostly refunded through Medicare (suck on that, USA).

I am grateful to have the diagnosis, it has given me a filter to understand my past, accept my mistakes, and now I am looking forward to a greater future from shaky foundations. The process wasn't anywhere near as painful as I expected it to be and my clinician was really nice.

I wish you well on your journey of self discovery!

Thank you very much for your very specific and helpful information! What you found out is also my impression. That only places I have found the "only a psychiatrist can diagnose autism in Australia" statements, are forums and blogs and similar opinion-based information sources.



I think that is helpful information, so I'll add parallel information from my own experiences.

My sessions with a psychologist specialising in ASD (including diagnosis) are covered by Medicare under a Mental Health Care Plan. They cost me $126 per session after the medicare refund of $124, which is transferred directly back into my account when I pay with my credit card in the clinic. The Mental Health Care Plan covers 6 sessions of psychological counselling per year, plus under special circumstances an additional 4 sessions (up to 10 sessions in a year), which requires a review by GP.

The psychologist I see is very competent and helpful, and I'll warmly recommend him and his clinic here in Sydney any time. Just PM me - for anonymity reasons, I won't write the name of the clinic here.

I am not on Centrelink or any other financial support (I work part time) so that is not necessary for getting a Mental Health Care Plan. I have a somewhat heavy mental history from many years ago (not Australia), I don't know if that makes a difference. The MHCP was started a few years ago when I was referred by my then GP to a psychologist for depression, and diagnosed with Social Anxiety. I'm quite sure I don't have that (although a lot of aspies do have Social Anxiety, I don't think I do).

I think the SA diagnosis built on my previous psychologist projecting his assumptions into my description of my social difficulties, combined with my obvious awkwardness and discomfort with the talk therapy. He was sitting right in front of me "too close" starring straight into my eyes while talking relentlessly, and it was impossible for me to focus, so I just went with whatever he said and said whatever I could fetch from my inner database that seemed relevant to what he said (even if it wasn't that relevant to me). I couldn't think clearly or access my own memory properly due to feeling flooded and confused by the constant loud stream of talk and invasive eyes and shifting face expressions, and felt tense and agitated most ofl the time. I didn't occur to me to ask for more personal space... I couldn't even think clearly enough to define in words that that was what made it so uncomfortable and confusing, except in hindsight. ... although it is a typical problem for me with talk therapy. I stuck through about 4 or 5 sessions thinking I just had to try harder, but then I gave up and quit.

I still have the same fundamental tendencies in talk therapy - it is part of my general face to face communication challenges I guess (feeling overwhelmed and confused by the non-verbal/sensory aspects in direct face to face conversations and loosing memory access and mental coherence when my social/sensory capacity gets overloaded). However, it is going much better and have got a lot out of the majority of the sessions with my current psychologist. He "gets" me and comes with relevant advice, he listens instead of projecting, and he is conscious about the non-verbal / sensory challenges of the talk situation. He tries to not invade one's personal space - e.g. does not sit too close, and positions his chair in a slight angle instead of straight face to face like psychologists tend to do - that takes some of the pressure off and makes it easier to relax, relate and think:-)

Just one of the good reasons to see a therapist who specialises in ASD when having an ASD.

Had anyone else experienced similar challenges with talk therapy?