Should he see a psychiatrist?

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Hi,
I'm posting for my husband's family. They have a 27 year old nephew who was adopted, now orphaned, and his guardian quit once again. They say he has autism but I think he needs further evaluation. His parents babied him, didn't really know what to do with him, and I don't believe he received the help he needed when he was younger. He acts like a 7 year old. Though his obsession with Disney and dinosaurs is cute and he cracks me up, his obsession with young, underage actresses is not so cute. I know it is innocent but sometimes it's weird. He has been living in a house with 2 other men (both cognitive impairments) and caregivers. He also receives government aid yet he doesn't spend enough of it fast enough and they are going to decrease the money he gets. I think he needs more than care givers. I think he needs more professional help. And the money he isn't spending could possibly go towards this. No? Does anyone have any insight on whether someone like this should seek psychiatric help or some sort or professional assistance? I've been encouraging my in-laws to look into it but no one ever does. Any advice? I hope I don't sound too clueless. I am kind of clueless when it comes to autism/Asperger's, but I'm just tired of people complaining about his behavior yet no one is trying to help him.
Anyway, thanks for reading.

Autism or not he seems impaired so he should see a psychologist. A psychologist is better than a psychstrist for conditions like autism you are born with.

From what you are describing, i would agree with ASPartOfMe that a psychologist would be a good starting point. If possible, one who is familiar w/ autism/aspergers.

When i dealt with depression a few yrs ago, before i knew anything about aspergers, the psychiatrist and psychologist i saw were just not putting the pieces together as to why i dealt with the level of depression i did and added some diagnoses that i now think were unnecessary--such as OCD (which i did not have). Later when my child was diagnosed with ASD, i learned through sessions with his behavioral therapist that i likely have it too. I now see her for my own issues as needed, as well as taking my son to her when issues arise with him. She has been far more helpful in fewer sessions than the 1st 2 drs, due to knowledge of aspergers.

The other 2 drs had very little knowledge or experience with aspergers, and never considered it a possibility even though i had many signs. The behavioral therapist (psychologist) picked up on it right away.

You are not his legal guardian, correct? If that's true then you will need to convince his guardians that he needs to be re-evaluated for possible conditions & contributors to his limitations. I'm not sure a general psych* of either flavor (psychiatry or psychology) is appropriate - it sounds like he needs someone who specializes in assessments.

Thanks everybody! I really appreciate the feedback. I will contact my mother-in-law and let you her know she'll have to speak to his guardian (whenever he receives a new one) about getting a proper assessment. I truly don't believe he has ever received one. And if he did, it was a very long time ago. Thanks!

Now comes the hard part. You need to find a clinition knowlagible in how autism presents in adults. It depends a lot on where you live but in plenty of locations where these people are hard to find or unaffordable. If he agrees to be part of a study, some universities do assessments for free.