Hi guys.
This is honestly such a shot in the dark, but I'm currently going through a very difficult period in my life at the moment and could use some support.
As a 30 year-old woman, I was recently evaluated for Autism. I'm not going to get into the specifics on how I've managed throughout my life, but I was recommended to get evaluated by a professional who I've been seeing for the past two years, who doesn't have the means to give an official diagnosis.
Basically, I signed up for three virtual sessions online with a credible doctor through a third party organization. Mind you, this was probably the most vulnerable I've ever been, and the most I've ever had to advocate for myself, which was insanely difficult to do. I wrote down everything in my life that drew attention to my struggle, my development, and my person, which I also haven't managed to do before, so all of this was very stress-inducing.
Anyhow, to make a long story short, at the end of my third session, the doctor finally stated that even though I meet the criteria for Autism, she can't give me an official diagnosis due to how well I "mask". She even went ahead and spoke about how a lot of women go under the radar due to the DSM-5 being outdated on Autism.. and, not going to lie, I was pretty mad considering I thought that that was her job to distinguish that?? She said word for word "We need to do things by the book", and closed my case.
Basically, I just wasted my money on someone telling me that I have it, but because I don't "seem" it, I'm getting the door shut on my face.. and I have not stopped crying since this happened.
I don't mean to sound so negative, but I don't know what to do. I know I've been overlooked throughout my life and have become even more aware of how much I struggle day-to-day, and by the end of it all, I'm mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, which I don't want to be.
So, my question is - does anyone know of any organization/specialist within Charlotte who works primarily with high-masking women? If not, I'd even travel out of state for support at this point because I am just so tired. I'm interested in a 2nd attempt at evaluation, so if anyone knows anything, or has some advice, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you.