"advice for diagnosis in Canada."

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Hello, im new and this is my story. I would much appreciate any advice, comments, poll votes, etc. What do you think? 80 linked thread explains everything.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt215436.html

Go here: http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/index ... 12&lang=en

Click on your province/territory, then click on diagnostic assessment. Should give you a list of qualified places/individuals.

Well, you could go the public route and get a referral to a psychiatrist and since you are in the transitional 16-24 year old window, after your long wait you might luck out and get someone experienced enough to diagnose a young adult female. OR - if you have extended coverage through school - I advice you see a psychologist who specializes in AS instead. You can recoup some extra costs through taxes if you are diagnosed. You may also be able to access a diagnostic work up through your post secondary institution. Go ask at the disabilities department. My number one advice is to get to an experienced PSYCHOLOGIST if at all possible.

I assume this would vary based on your province, but the general gist of the process is this:

See your general practitioner, explain your issues, get a referral for psych assessment -> wait on the waiting list, or, if this is urgent (violence or suicide risk) they may triage you to the front of the line -> do the psych assessment interview with a psychiatrist -> depending on the psychiatrist's assessment, you could be referred for neuropsychological testing -> wait on the waiting list for that -> do the testing -> find out exactly what your diagnosis is. If you do it this way, the whole thing should be covered by your basic provincial healthcare, ie, free.

That's the process I went through. I live in Alberta. One Alberta specific thing I didn't mention is the Access Mental Health department. They act as a general intake for all psych patients entering the system. I had to do an interview with them over the phone before doing my official psych assessment.

You will almost always have to go through your family doctor first before seeing a psychiatrist unless you show up at the emergency room in crisis and have a chat with the emergency psych team.

If you want to go to a psychologist, you don't need a referral. My family doctor didn't even know I was going for the assessment. I made all the arrangements on my own.