I have managed at last to secure an appointment for an assessment with a private clinic specializing in autistic spectrum and developmental disorders. My GP has been very helpful - although he doesn't personally have the knowledge or qualifications to say whether I have an ASD or not, he has seen me regularly for a long time and agrees that there seems to be a problem there that goes beyond what can be corrected with medication or therapy. He initially made a referral for me to a specialist on the NHS, which would have been free, but that diagnostician screened me out after deciding I didn't 'tick enough boxes' on a questionnaire he sent and refused to see me in person. After I contacted the private clinic, though, they asked for a GP referral in order to offer me an appointment, and he was quite amenable to writing a second letter. Now they've contacted me to say they will see me next month.
What should I expect to happen and to be asked during the initial assessment (which will cost me around £400)? I've been trying to make a list of anything that comes to mind about problems I have, things that I've been told or have noticed are odd or different about myself - anything that might assist the doctor that I see.
Another question is whether or not I should discuss my own research on autism and AS, and similarities I've seen between myself and the descriptions people diagnosed with an ASD have given. I would have assumed that it would be helpful, but I've been told that doctors don't like you self-diagnosing.