Getting Diagnosed, NHS funding in the uk?

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hello, im sort of new here but I thought it's the best place to ask

basically, im a student, 20, generally seem to have some of the symptoms of AS.

I've already seen my GP who passed me on to another GP who said he would apply for funding for me to be assessed. prior to him telling me this, I've not been "tested" in any way so far, no forms, no in depth discussion with people, nothing.

I've read a lot of stories and it seems that getting any sort of assessment (as an "adult") on the NHS is an uphill battle. so far the 2 GP's I have seen haven't disagreed with the idea that I might have AS. it's just this funding business that has me worried. im 20 so I think i'd be classed as an adult, but im also classed as a "young person", and im a student, so I don't really know if any of this is going to weigh in my favor. if the funding isn't there I don't know what the next step is to getting help, weather it be help for potential asperger's syndrome or possible other conditions I may have.

so can anyone say what the funding is like, if you're an "adult" or "young person", what are the criteria for funding , how easy or difficult has funding been for you to get on the NHS? (the area im in is South Yorkshire, if that makes a difference)

Hello. It's sadly very difficult to get a diagnosis past the age of 17 in the UK. I found that the NHS either refused or were unwilling to investigate the possibility that my condition (then undiagnosed) might be an ASD. The only way to get a professional to see you is to make a lot of noise (as my step dad says!) and just refuse to take no for an answer! I was 19 when I eventually got seen by a professor and he couldn't give me any follow up as technically his service ended at 18 years old and I was an exception!

I was, however, searching the National autistic society's website earlier (I'm looking for a new care facility) and I stumbled across a section about diagnosis as an adult:

http://www.autism.org.uk/About-autism/A ... dults.aspx

It is quite in-depth and includes how to make a complaint if you are not referred. I wish we'd had this information back when I was 19!

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

I'm not sure if this will be any use, but I was diagnosed at age 21-22 (I forget exactly when) in the UK (Sheffield autism center I think). I was referred to someone in the NHS to try and deal with depression and I guess some of the autistic symptoms came up in the discussion, I ended up getting sent for a diagnosis. To be honest part of me thinks they just had no idea how to deal with the depression stuff so they thought they might as well try to get an aspergers assessment, the diagnosis has been very useful anyway. I have been told by a GP that I was very lucky to get the assessment. The whole topic of funding never came up so I didn't really consider it, but anyway it is at least possible to get a diagnosis after childhood.

I'm in the middle of getting a diagnosis. I went to my doctor's and asked to be referred. No one's ever said anything about needing funding, it's all been very straight forward. I just get sent letters for appointments and I go to them.

I too just spoke with my GP for 15 minutes and she seemed to think my suspicions had merrit and had no reservations about reffering me to one of the few specialists in the area who diagnose AS in adults. I was warned there would be quite a wait but it has been 2 months now and I have still not received any acknowledgement or appointment details so will be chassing up tomorrow I think.

It seems to vary by area. I've struggled to get more than screening. There's nothing in my area for adults. You do have a right to a diagnosis under the Autism Act.

thanks to all the posters

well I suppose there is still some hope that I'll get funding...just not so easily. I don't really want to "cause a scene", getting upset or whatever just to get assessed, that's not exactly dignified and it shouldn't be that way just to get some answers. it is a bit worrying that many of the people who've posted say funding was never even mentioned to them, it makes it seem like...if funding wasn't an issue they would of not mentioned it to me at all. it seems like they're setting me up for a fall.

I think if they say I can't get funding ill first keep explaining what my problems are and ask them how they think I should deal with it. if they still say no, i'll probably just go to my GP about depression and see what they say.

It's kindof unfair that these PHds and Specialists are falling all over themselves to diagnose children. But, when it comes to an adult, they throw up barriers. I don't quite get it. When I was a kid, AS really didn't exist as an official disorder, so I was labled "Hyperactive" and "Learning Disabled".
Even with the LD Dx in High School, I was given NO official paperwork regarding it. So now, when I look at getting a Dx for AS, I need a referral AND its going to cost a couple grand if I dont have good insurance.

maybe try explaining how a diagnosis could help to your GP, so they can see it's not just for curiosities sake (although I do think that's a perfectly valid reason for wanting a diagnosis). If you're a student at university it allows you to access 'disabled students allowance', which provides some financial support, plus lets you get mentoring services etc. I wasn't aware of all of this when I first got my diagnosis but it has been useful. Also if you've got any comorbid issues (depression/anxiety etc) then maybe a diagnosis will help address the root cause of them.

(I can see why they focus on children, if you can identify it early then it's a lot easier to actually make a difference, generally when you get into adulthood it becomes a lot harder to make meaningful interventions and a diagnosis is essentially for peace of mind, although that may change in the future if the ever develop reliable treatments)

well, the last time the GP spoke to me (actually, both GPs I've seen) I told them straight up that I have no social life and no friends and live in a very isolated life and that I've repeatedly tried with people to make friends and got nowhere, and how it gets me down, how I can't focus on my work properly, how I can't really talk to people even about day to day things, can't look people in the eyes etc.

I was asked (paraphrasing) if I thought my symptoms are causing me trouble in my day to day life and why it would help me to be diagnosed. im pretty sure I said yes because it stops me fulfilling certain human functions. (I have to share a flat with other students, who I just can't speak to at all, I tend to avoid them, which means avoiding them if I know they're in the kitchen even if im starving) well that's just one example I gave him.

there was more stuff I said but...basically if I don't get funding I don't see what else I can say. if they don't think I have problems I don't know what else I could say to them

I've been given like some leaflet about the sheffield asperger's sydrome service or whatever it's called, but at the same time the GP said he was applying for funding on my behalf implying it isn't enough just to be referred.

im just going to try to block it out of my mind for the next few weeks till I find out if they're funding me or not. can't do anything now until I find out anyway so best to try not to worry too much.

There's a difference between being referred and actually getting the funding for it.

I was referred for a diagnosis, but in my area (west mids) they only agree to funding for people under the age of 25. So I didn't get funding, so referral stopped and I wasn't put on the waiting list.

There is so little money in the NHS at the moment that funding is very unlikely, even with the Autism Act supposedly saying that diagnosis should be made easier for adults. If you ask anyone in the mental health/ASD area of the NHS, they would say the same.

My GP has now had to speak to the child Autism services to see where I go from here. Another GP can't understand why I need the diagnosis.

I have been asked why it's only just become an issue - it hasn't. It's just becoming more of an issue.

I'm in the same situation at age 31. It's been obvious all my life I have certain issues but it has only been in the last 5 or so years that it has really come to light how much I'm struggling. And it has only been in the last 6 or so months that quite a few people have suggested it could be AS - before that I really didn't know much about it.

I went to the GP and told him exactly what I felt was wrong and he referred me to the Mental Health service, who did an over the phone assessment on me and have decided it's likely I have social anxiety/social phobia and I'm on the waiting list for a CBT type course. The wait is about 3 months. I'm not sure how helpful the treatment will be but at least now I'm inside the MH system, will be seeing a psychiatrist and can tell them what my symptoms are, they might be able to tell me what the next step can be.

My parents - bless them, they are incredible - said that if I got no help from the NHS, they'd sell everything they owned to get me into a private clinic. Which was so lovely of them and they meant it, but when they looked up private diagnosis on NAS, turns out that only NHS diagnosis applies when trying to access help and benefits if applicable. So it's not much more help than a self-diagnosis in my opinion.

I do understand why diagnosing and supporting children is more important (especially in the earlier years) but there seems to be very little out there for adults and we are of the age where we would have slipped through the net at school, given that AS has only been widely known about in this country in the last 5-10 years.