how to get a DX w/o insurance or money to pay for it?

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is it possible? I'm not working and I don't have insurance. It's looking like family assistance isn't going to be there for helping pay to find out about this, so I'm on my own and don't have a clue what to do from here (not even sure how to find a doctor at this point).

if i can't pay for it or show ability/steady income to make arrangements, am i pretty much screwed?

I was gonna wait until I had all of the details confirmed, because I most definitely do not want to go around spreading misinformation, but... since you asked I'll tell you what I've recently found out.

I would check at your local university to see if their psychology dept. offers evals. My son had to be reassessed recently by a psychologist to see if he still qualifies for Dev. Delay services that he gets through the state. Even though my kids do have insurance, it was recommended that I take him to one of our local universities. They don't accept insurance, but the whole entire eval costs only $30. I guess, before someone can earn all of the degrees needed to become a certified psychologist the have to work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist at school. The lady was very, very professional, and well informed. The first interview was just her asking my husband, and I questions about my son. When she called to set up the the next appt I finally got the courage to ask if she has done evals for adults on the spectrum, especially women, because I know women are often different in how they present AS symptoms. She told me that she has that expereince, and that she can do that for me, which was odd, since I hadn't told her that I was wanting to know for myself. Guess, my AS qualities show more than I know.

Anyway, I'm rambling again..

Try the Yellow Pages under Mental Health Facilities, or ask around about State-run not-for-profit MH Organizations. There are government subsidized facilities who will hook you up with a therapist or psychologist for a fee based on your income, which, if its zero, will get you in free.

Try asking where people in your county are sent for anger management or alcohol rehab classes after they get arrested - chances are that's a government subsidized treatment center.

I went in initially for help with comorbids, like depression and anxiety and asked to be evaluated for AS after I'd started seeing the therapist - she then referred me to their psychologist for testing and official diagnosis. The most I ever had to pay was $35 a visit and that only when I had some sort of income or insurance.

Hitchhike to Canada?

Swim across the Atlantic ocean to UK?

Both would be free.

Both of those would work, I suppose, but my solution would be a lot simpler. Free Medical, Mental Health care and even Dental care are available to low and no-income folks, even here in the mean ol' USA.

if doctors do not have a way to get paid then they will not make any appointment to see you unless you go to the emergency room for a actual emergency

do not go to a mental health place since that kind of doctors have a habit of mental illness only or faker and autism is not a mental illness so that kind of doctor is not where to go

Yeah, that's what I've heard from people around here. I live in a relatively large city, but believe it or not there's only about 3 doctors here that know what to look for when it comes to adult AS.They're extremely expensive, too. That's why finding out about the psychology dept at one of our universities was like finding gold to me. Not only does she have experience with adult AS, but it doesn't cost much.

I swear, it's like talking to a brick wall. I just demonstrated from my own personal experience that this is NOT TRUE. I live in the US, have no income, no insurance and got my diagnosis from a psychologist with much experience with adult AS, through a local Mental Health facility (called a Counseling & Guidance Center) and I got it for no cost = FREE, due to state and federal subsidies provided for the poor and disenfranchised.

BTW, I have a cousin w/AS who has been semi-DX'd by a local University psyche dept, but apparently they can't give her an official final diagnosis that way. So that method may vary depending on where you live, or the circumstances of that particular University.

Yes, all of the doctors here that can dx you do work at a mental health facility. They're just not the kind will work on a sliding scale fee. We don't have anyone around here that only sees ASD patients. A ASD specialist would be the best way to go, but unfortunately, that's not available for everyone, everywhere. Sometimes, that's hard to explain to people on here that seem to live in areas where that kind of care is available. Not all of us have that option. Some of us have to go to a regular mental health facility.

I did wonder if the dx from the university would be formal. That's one of the details that I wanted to ask her about when I see her at the next appt. Even if it's informal, I'll probably still go through with it, as it's the only option available to me at the moment.

thanks for the tips everyone. i did some checking into some services the state offers, and it looks like i qualify to receive some mental health services (amongst other things since I've been out of work so long).

whether or not they'll do any sort of diagnosis or not is the big question now...

I could not find a medicaid psychiatrist in my area who wouldn't insist on taking me off all of my medication and putting me onto antipsychotics, despite the fact that I have never had any psychotic symptoms and have responded extremely badly when taking them as sedatives in the past. The first one I saw down here accused me of faking it all and being an addict. I had nightmares about it for quite awhile. The second flat-out refused to see me if I didn't take antipsychotics, and wouldn't continue the medications that I was already on that have helped.
I'm lucky my parents were willing to pay for me to see a private psychiatrist. She doesn't know anything about AS, but at least will keep me on the meds that keep me hanging on.
There are, apparently, no semi-competent medicaid psychiatrists anywhere in southern Maryland.

I've gotten decent discounts (60-70%) through the local "Catholic" hospital system. So happens, they have a mental health center.

I'm composing an email to them... But... I have no idea what to ask them... ?

"Hello can you diagnose my Asperger's ?"

no matter how i word it, i feel stupid. Any tips ? Also, any guesses as to what this would be full-cost ?

Look at your counties Developmental Disability / Mental Health services. I was already in the system but was transferred and got my diagnosis from them and now am seeing DDS. I'm not sure how hard it will be if you aren't... I was passed from College services to County Mental Health then to DDS was in and out of hospital and most of the people along the way kept bringing up AS.