Any advantages to formal diagnosis?

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Is there any economic advantage to having a formal diagnosis? Tax break, medical reimbursement, or the like?

I'm trying to justify the cost of travel, screening, etc. But other than being told what's plainly obvious, is there a point?

If you have a problem at work which is related to your Aspergers and need help/sympathy/small changes to be made etc, you will probably need to have a formal diagnosis. This would be an economic advantage since it would help you hold onto a job! In Britain, if you were out of work, I believe you would get £80 a week from the state rather than £60.

The only advantage to a formal diagnosis that I found is...peace of mind from knowing I am not going insane.

I can identify with this. I am either bipolar, schizophrenic, or mildly autistic, and obviously the first two possibilities aren't that appealing...

My AS made me eligible for Social Security disability welfare payments (SSI), Section 8 housing assistance (rent subsidies), and access to disability services at my university.

I'm receiving £60 a week on disability benefit

I'm worried somtimes they'll think I dont need it, and truth be told I dont _need_ it

But it helps pay for things and If i'm going to be 'labelled for life' why not benefit from it financually I say

I can also apply for more at university but I dont want to take the piss to be honest as I believe people with say, a physical disability, could benefit from it more to help transport to their studies and what not

That's just my opinion anyway

if you have a hard time keeping a job, and your aspergers is severe enough i'd apply for disability

It depends. There are no tax breaks that I am aware of. In the US, you can be denied health insurance on the basis of a "pre-existing condition," which the insurance companies believe Asperger's to be. However, if you are unable to hold a decent job, you can get disability payments from the government.

Denied insurance!! !? Because of Asperger's!! !! !!??????????

Just denial of coverage for behavioral health services or things related to AS, or all medical insurance in general?

Free money and a bad reputation.

It's generally better to have a private diagnosis (i.e., not through the insurance company) so that it's up to you whom you reveal the dx to.

For me, the advantages of a diagnosis have been/will be getting accommodations in university and for jobs. In fact, next week I'm going for an interview for a practicum which will hopefully turn into a part-time job and I will be informing my supervisor of my diagnosis. Mainly so they have a little more patience with me for certain tasks. Not that I won't still be doing the job. But I worked as a research assistant to a professor at my university and thinking back, it would've probably been better for me to tell her.

They can use it to deny medical insurance entirely if they want to. Insurance companies are evil.

Your insurance company can dig through your records, and if they find out that you were "hiding something" they can retroactively cancel your insurance, take their money back from doctors that had already been paid (even for things utterly unrelated to AS) and leave you with a lovely bill.

WAIT A SECOND! You can get section 8 housing assistance EVEN if you make more than you are supposed to for it to otherwise take effect?

Section 8 is only supposed to come in if you don't make over a certain amount. Of course, MOST on SSI don't make more than that, and qualify, even if they DON'T have other disabilities.

I would take what the government offers you, Kolin. Benefits, taxes and whatnot are so unfair in some areas and so over generous in others, and no doubt you'll experience both over the course of your lifetime, so you just take what the states offers you when it's offered to you.

For me:

Less anxiety. I know why certain things are so hard so well I don't try to hide them / conform to the social norm anymore. I can just be who I am. It's also just good to know too. But, by far knowing why and just saying OK that's just me really helped me.

I'm in public housing.

Less anxiety. I know why certain things are so hard so well I don't try to hide them / conform to the social norm anymore. I can just be who I am. It's also just good to know too. But, by far knowing why and just saying OK that's just me really helped me.

I am assisted by DDS (Dev. Disability Services).

Less anxiety. I know why certain things are so hard so well I don't try to hide them / conform to the social norm anymore. I can just be who I am. It's also just good to know too. But, by far knowing why and just saying OK that's just me really helped me.

It depends on what records. I paid out of pocket and other than the psychologist, I am the only person with a copy of the papers (well, aside from my university). Even if I did have insurance atm, they have no right to my university records and they never knew I went to see a psychologist.

Same thing for a job. Although I don't know if there's anything having to do with a diagnosis and then getting insurance via work. But I'd assume if they hired you, you get insurance no matter what.



I believe you can. I receive more than typical SSI and when I was upgraded I wasn't taken off section 8. The only reason I was removed from section 8 was because I am a full-time student (apparently that's one catch).