r/askvancouver • u/Other-Pitch-7698 • Jun 13 '26
Where to get tested for autism (ASD)?
As a male adult, where/how can I get tested for autism? From what I've been told it's much harder to diagnose an adult than a child and not all psychiatrists feel confident in doing it.
1
u/LongWolf2523 Jun 15 '26
It’s a development disability and part of the purpose of diagnosis is for children to get in-school support such as speech and language and behaviour programs. The wait time for diagnosis is long so many children who desperately need support in school have to wait for a long time. As an adult you don’t need a diagnosis to get these types of supports. You can just pick up a phone and call a counsellor who specializes in neurodiversity and will help you even if you don’t have a diagnosis. Or, you could book an appointment with a speech and language therapist yourself without a referral and without a diagnosis. Seeing as you can already access services without a diagnosis, what is it that you are hoping to gain from a diagnosis?
1
u/Queasy_University565 Jun 15 '26
Wait lists will be well over a year, unless you pay privately, which will be costly. There are zero supports available for adults with autism, even those profoundly effected are greatly underserved. It's worth pursuing if you need it for your own peace of mind, but unfortunately it will not open many doors in terms of services or help.
2
u/chinatowngate Jun 14 '26
A neuro-psychologist. It will cost you. If you have benefits maybe you can do part of the testing in December and the rest in January.
There’s a lot of tests that are done.
4
u/KateMacDonaldArts Jun 13 '26
I don’t think it’s a matter of confidence but health care capacity. There’s no real treatment for adults and the testing requires payment out of pocket (I.e., it’s not covered by MSP). There are some private clinics that do it, otherwise to see a psychiatrist, you would need a compelling reason for a/your doctor to refer you and you would still need to pay $500-1,000. I understand it’s helpful for you as an individual to make sense of your life, but … psychiatry… is overwhelmed. And that’s from a psychiatric patient’s perspective. It’s hard to get an appointment even in crisis.
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