How do I pursue an autism evaluation as an adult? 🤔

Full transcript:
By far, the question I am asked most often anytime I post content about autism is... how do I pursue an evaluation as an adult?
If you've been wondering this, this video is for you.
I'll share the steps in the caption so you can easily copy and save them... and of course, you can also save this video for later.
Ok, so here's how to pursue an autism evaluation as an adult...
Step 1:
Know and understand the autism criteria as outlined in the DSM... a manual used in the US and other countries as a guide for diagnosing autism.
I'll link to an online version of it in the comments.
Step 2:
Write a thorough list of every symptom you can think of that applies to you based on the criteria outlined in the DSM.
I have a worksheet on my website that can help you with this step... you can find it at nicolefilipponeauthor.com/free-resources... I'll link to that in the comments as well.
Step 3:
Find a practitioner who is up to date on how autism is evaluated.
Start by asking for recommendations from autistic adults who have gone through the process recently and had a positive experience. You can do this in various autistic spaces online... including in my comments section down below. Not to brag, but I have some of the most wonderful followers in the online autistic community, and they have been amazing at chiming in when this question has been asked before.
Ok, but if you can't get recommendations because of your location or some other reason... research practitioners online and look for “clues” that indicate that they're current in their knowledge of the autism criteria because many, unfortunately, are not.
Step 4:
Call a practitioner that you feel might be a good fit and ask to have an initial conversation before scheduling an assessment.
Be prepared to answer the question, "Why are you interested in pursuing an autism evaluation?" This is the first question I was asked when I had my very first conversation with a practitioner.
I actually have a resource to help you with this conversation as well. It's essentially a call script because, you know, us autistics love our scripts :-) That's also on my website, which I'll link to in comments.
Now, I do want to take a second to acknowledge that not everyone will be able to pursue a formal diagnosis, usually for financial reasons, because most insurance companies in the US don't cover evuluations for adults.
If you can't afford to get one, don't worry. Steps 1 and 2 should get you pretty close to knowing whether or not you're autistic. A formal diagnosis is helpful for many reasons, but you can get a lot out of just being 98% sure you're autistic... and you have a loving and supportive community of autistic people online who will welcome you and your self discovered autism with open arms.
Ok... last thing... I haven't created content on what an autism evaluation actually entails. Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to talk about my experience getting evaluated. If there's enough interest, I'll make a video.
And follow for more content about autism and neurodivergent brain wiring.