If You Do Not Receive a Diagnosis
- Request a detailed explanation of why criteria weren’t met
- Ask about “subthreshold” symptoms that were observed
- Discuss alternative explanations for your experiences
- Request referrals to address specific difficulties regardless of diagnosis
- Consider seeking a second opinion if you strongly feel the assessment was incomplete
- Remember that diagnostic criteria evolve and reassessment may be worthwhile in the future
Unclear Understanding of Needs:
- Without a diagnosis, it may be harder to understand why certain differences in your profile exist. The clinician giving you feedback about your assessment will help you to understand this and send you down a different pathway for further investigation.
- Sometimes this can lead to frustration, confusion, or even feelings of isolation forthe individual or their family.
Access to Support and Resources:
- Without an official diagnosis, it can be more difficult to access specialised therapies, educational accommodations, and support services that are tailored to autism or ADHD. However, support services in the UK such as educational support, therapies, or financial support are based on needs and not labels.
Self-Care After Assessment
- Process your emotions about the results (relief, grief, validation, confusion)
- Continue using strategies that help you function better
- Focus on strengths while addressing challenges
- Consider therapy to help now that you know more about your individual profile
When to Seek Reassessment
- If new symptoms develop
- If symptoms significantly worsen
- If you’ve gained new insights about your experiences
- If your first assessment felt rushed or incomplete
- If you have significant life changes that reveal new patterns of difficulty
In Summary:
Getting the right diagnosis can be incredibly important as it provides a framework for understanding specific needs, accessing support services, and creating plans for improvement. However, if someone doesn’t receive a diagnosis, they might still face challenges so ask the clinical team which pathway to turn to instead.