In an ideal world this would be amazing, unfortunately we live in the UK where there is zero funding, zero standardisation and almost zero support for neurodivergent people. At present we're seen as the latest 'trend' to use as a political tool. I waited years for assessment by the NHS. I live in Wales so there are no Right to Choose services. My assessment was face to face. It was two hours long, the psychiatrist didn't ask me to provide any information from family or anyone who knew me. There were no diagnostic tests. After the assessment I was emailed a two page 'report' that was merely basic notes from the assessment with a line at the bottom saying I have autism and adhd. I've never seen a psychiatrist since. I was passed to his secretary whom I had to repeatedly email to ask what happened next. Eventually I was passed to the local mental health pharmeuctical team...who didn't exist as their pharmacist was in maternity..after much complaining I spoke to a pharmacist over the phone who prescribed medication. She posted me out and incorrect prescription...I spent the next 5 months travelling and hour each way to pick up a prescription...that was titration. This isn't a sob story, this is the state of the NHS. Several of my children require assessment but they would have to wait years and actually be adults by the time they were assessed. I have never been offered support. I argued for counselling but there is no neurodiverse counselling in the NHS so it was useless. I'm seen as 'high functioning ' as term I loathe because I struggle. I'm perimenopausal and my GP knows nothing about menopause and less about ND. There's no joined up care. The mental health team told me that 'autism' is fairly new' so they have no resources to help. The psychiatrist secretary sent me some websites. I am a bright person. I have educated myself and I work as an advocate. I see people on a daily basis struggling without support, some diagnosed, some not, most without understanding of what their ND means and how it affects them. No one explains, doctors would rather give out medication, there is no coaching or education through the NHS and no help unless you can pay...which isn't unique to ND. People are losing their jobs, not getting jobs, losing their children, their homes, their sanity. It's a crisis...but no one cares because they're poor and at the bottom of society. There are plenty of fascinating podcasts and papers out there...each one says 'talk to healthcare provider ' 'get therapy' 'see a specialist'...but such unicorns do not exist for most of us.
So yes....a post diagnostic, face to face, report would be great but what would be better is access to assessment, post diagnostic support, coaching, appropriate counselling or in fact anything at all....I'm lucky enough to be diagnosed but even then all I received was ' you're ASD and ADHD, now, off you go'.
