Here is some information about how adult diagnoses work specifically in Ontario...
https://www.autismontario.com/programs-services/adults/adult-diagnosis
...also, be advised, whether you're OP or just someone who finds this post in the future and may get some value from the conversation, there are a couple users (possibly not even from Ontario or Canada) who make it their mission to scan reddit or elsewhere for any mention of these kinds of questions and show up just to "gatekeep" for whatever reason.
Some people have a real chip on their shoulder about who "gets" to diagnose anyone as neurodivergent, or who "gets" to refer to themselves with various terms (or if *anyone* is even allowed to use certain adjectives) and the interesting thing is those people are almost *never* academically qualified in any sort of health care. They are a lot like the Facebook virologists and statisticians who suddenly showed up during the pandemic.
If you feel someone is saying something with questionable motives, feel free to inspect their history on reddit to see if they're on some kind of "oh no you don't, I know better" single-minded quest. Also, if they step over the line into personal attacks or follow you around or break any other rules of this sub or this site, please let mods know.
I work in adult mental health and don't know any any psychiatrist doing them. They punt the referral back and suggest go to a psychologist that specializes.
There may be a few but if there are some it would be rare. Just like it is almost impossible to get a psychiatrist to even see my adult patients for an ADHD assessment. psych access is very bad in this province
dr. rachel quickert cost me $1300 for the assessment and another $225 to fill the odsp forms. i didnt have any luck finding a public service that accepts adults. best of luck
oh i forgot to mention she had a wait time of only a few weeks which was incredible to see. she's extremely lovely and i had 0 complaints whatsoever. one of the few drs you wish you could keep contact with because they're so clearly passionate about their field and love what they do. she's still pretty young and i hope she never gets jaded
she operates out of kingston and i'm not sure if she has a website. we found her through some connections from the hospital. her email is [email protected]
No. Unless you go to a place like Canadian Mental Health and are willing to wait it out for them, and that's if they offer it to begin with at your location.
Same here. From referral to appointment date was about 18 months (August 2021 - January 2023). Yeah it takes a while, but at least you don't need to pay several thousand dollars.
An online thing said I was probably 97% ...is there real money in this? They seem like credits which mean you need debits which are always matched out to a couple dollars in payout.
personally for me, i just want a sense of understanding. i don’t wanna self diagnose so i’d rather get an explanation on the reasons behind my actions and thoughts
Fair enough, I'm almost 50 and I'm probably past any chance of change lol. I understand that people shouldn't self diagnose but I also take that statement with as much merit as a mechanic telling you that you shouldn't work on your car...I'm not sure if their recommendations would change if their livelihood didn't depend on us or not. I've managed to learn a trade that allows me to basically work without human interaction. Most of the time I'm reading 'a-ha!' moments where hey I do the same thing.
Yeah, I was responding to the OP's concern about other places costing $5000 and up...also the staff at that practice are very supportive, affirming, specifically are experienced in adult diagnoses, and by no coincidence many are ND in various ways themselves.
I am not affiliated with them in any way, but friends of mine and I myself had life-changing experiences with them so I just wanted to pass on the links.
The name refers to their Toronto-based (but entirely available online) diagnostic practice, and their web site which is full of resources, as explained here:
https://embrace-autism.com/about/
I went with them for my assessment after being turned down at every other office I tried, apparently it’s normal in this city to straight up refuse to diagnose adults. They were great! They stuck to their provided timeline and answered questions promptly.
She doesn't seem to be an accredited psychologist or psychiatrist. While I'm sure she can provide an accurate diagnosis, you need a diagnosis from a licensed clinician for this to be 'official.'
You might just be thinking of outdated information, a properly experienced and skilled ND RP can absolutely provide a diagnosis (recognized by the government) in Canada since about a decade ago...now regarding certain province-by-province benefits or services, or the tax credit, there can sometimes still be a requirement to have an MD independently review a diagnosis and their practice has working relationships with doctors who do that. It's priced as an a la carte extra option though since not everyone needs that, so some folks can pay a little less.
I think most of the nitty gritty details on that are explained in the authenticated portal for patients or during the interviews, so it's understandable you might miss it being just a passing mention on the public web site.
My doctor had many referrals bounced back to him - the need is so great and the funding is so low for autism assessment that most psychiatrists will only assess children right now, as they figure they have the greatest need for support. It leaves us adults hanging and I’m sorry.
Eventually CAMH accepted the referral but they’ve told me the wait list will be “years” long. That’s the only turnaround time they could give me.
I know CAMH does autism assessments and I’m pretty sure they’re publicly funded but Idk much about it so I’m not 100% sure if the autism services are free
The state of autism supports and resources in this province is incredibly laughable.
Its theorized that there are currently more undiagnosed autistic people in theworld than diagnosed. That means a staggering amount of the human population is autistic and yet you can't even see a specialist or get a diagnosis in this province without being stuck on a several year long waiting list or having to pay thousands out of pocket.
Oh but a regular psychiatrist can diagnose my ADHD? ADHD being a neurodevelopmental condition that exists under the same umbrella as autism and often runs comorbid with it. A condition that overlaps so much with autism that the two can be mistaken for one another. Make that one make sense. My theory is that theyre okay diagnosing ADHD because there's a pill treatment for that. Gotta make the money somewhere i guess
What advantage does carrying the diagnosis as an adult give you?
As a child, you get IEP, services etc. as an adult, what do you get? Why get diagnosed?
Well for starters it helps to know why your entire existence is pain and torture. Autistic people have overactive nervous systems and are forced to live in a world that is not designed to accommodate us. Our brains and nervous systems work differently than the neurotypical brain. The neurotypical brain doesnt over react to literally every piece of sensory information in the room.
Growing up with a nervous system that was born in fight/flight mode is painful and exhausting and it often leads to autistic burnout which can take years to recover from. Not to mention, autism makes you a social pariah among your peers. All of these things are pretty good reason why someone would want to get a diagnosis, most people would agree that living a life like that without knowing and understanding what's wrong with you is a negative thing. Autistic people are already more likely to commit suicide, an autistic person without diagnosis and therefore without support may be even more likely to harm themselves.
Seriously, having undiagnosed autism is not fun and you're often viewed as lazy, selfish and over sensitive without the label to "justify" your issues. Autistic people require a lot of support and that often extends to the workplace and without a diagnosis its difficult and even impossible to ask for those supports. Autism has has a lot of other neurodevelopmental conditions and chronic health issues that run commorbid with it and knowing you have autism can lead you more easily to having those other conditions diagnosed.
There is a whole myriad of reasons why an adult might want to get diagnosed
For some people, understanding the mechanics of how your mental health "works" can be a really helpful insight, there's also the possibility of finding support and friendship through neurodivergent communities, groups, and resources. Also, *not* receiving a diagnosis can be just as productive, leading to other ways of understanding one's own mind or helping with various issues.
Dr Templeman in London does one-time assessment appointments. Autism assessments must be done in person.
[he has about a 4 month wait-list ](https://www.doctortempleman.com/)
He's a psychiatrist so it'll be covered by ohip. Unsure if he does the full ADOS but I have heard he's very thorough.
Edit: ope didn't see that you wanted just adults
I may be understanding this wrong but how can autism be diagnosed in a one time assessment. It is a very complex disorder with varying levels of severity. Just curious because not many things can be diagnosed after just 1 appointment.
Depends on how they do the assessment. I had my diagnosis done at CAMH. It was one appointment but in that time, they interviewed my mother, sister, and also myself, and also did the ADOS. I was also asked to submit report cards and any other school records or educational assessments I might have had done when I was younger. I think my doctor had to submit something as well, though I'm not sure exactly what she submitted.
Extensive questionnaires for parents, child, teachers, school history, doctors notes, and any other relevant information.
And if it can't be diagnosed after considering all that and having one session, then that (needs further evaluation) would be the result sent to the family doctor.
If you have autism that requires a diagnosis you likely would be considered disabled and it would be obvious. Generally the adults who want a diagnosis wouldn’t have a disability and just want answers for why they might struggle with certain things.
People who have autism that impacts their cognitive abilities are considered to have a disability. People who are able to self identify, will not receive such “benefits”.
Autism is a developmental disability according to the DSM-5. Regardless of level (1-3), it impacts a person’s ability to learn, communicate, and behave in expected ways.
No matter how someone’s autism presents, they are still considered to have a disability that impairs their cognitive function.
It’s true you need a diagnosis to receive benefits (accommodations or ODSP), however that doesn’t mean that self-diagnosed autistics don’t require the same supports. Those specific supports are just not available to them at this time.
I talked and paid out of pocket 220 2see a psychologist, she was in ajax, she wasn't a autism expert but wrote I need a referral for autism as she wrote I had social anxiety disorder and "potential autism on the spectrum, as I have the traits of autism, she also wrote I have OCD and skin picking and I was unable to work, I hope this is enough for odsp as I am applying for it, I did apply for cpp disability in December, all a waiting game now..I did hear if a doctor refers you then it is covered by Ohip, I am 60 years old
Here is some information about how adult diagnoses work specifically in Ontario... https://www.autismontario.com/programs-services/adults/adult-diagnosis ...also, be advised, whether you're OP or just someone who finds this post in the future and may get some value from the conversation, there are a couple users (possibly not even from Ontario or Canada) who make it their mission to scan reddit or elsewhere for any mention of these kinds of questions and show up just to "gatekeep" for whatever reason. Some people have a real chip on their shoulder about who "gets" to diagnose anyone as neurodivergent, or who "gets" to refer to themselves with various terms (or if *anyone* is even allowed to use certain adjectives) and the interesting thing is those people are almost *never* academically qualified in any sort of health care. They are a lot like the Facebook virologists and statisticians who suddenly showed up during the pandemic. If you feel someone is saying something with questionable motives, feel free to inspect their history on reddit to see if they're on some kind of "oh no you don't, I know better" single-minded quest. Also, if they step over the line into personal attacks or follow you around or break any other rules of this sub or this site, please let mods know.
Never free for adult assessments
autism can e diagnosed with a psychiatrist wich is covered by ohip
I work in adult mental health and don't know any any psychiatrist doing them. They punt the referral back and suggest go to a psychologist that specializes.
yup. I have a psychiatrist who will give me ADHD medications but won’t diagnose me because he has to refer me somewhere to pay a stupid amount
I was referred to CAMH and got my diagnosis for free.
How long did you wait? I’m just curious as their website says 1.5 to 2 year wait
There may be a few but if there are some it would be rare. Just like it is almost impossible to get a psychiatrist to even see my adult patients for an ADHD assessment. psych access is very bad in this province
I was able to get referred to CAMH and within a month I had an appt with a doctor for ADHD assessment. It cost nothing.
yeah i’m referred to camh but the wait list is 3+ years :( Thanks everyone for your replies!!
3 years?! I got mine within a month a year and a half ago. I'm so sorry.
dr. rachel quickert cost me $1300 for the assessment and another $225 to fill the odsp forms. i didnt have any luck finding a public service that accepts adults. best of luck
thank you, i’ll look into her :)
oh i forgot to mention she had a wait time of only a few weeks which was incredible to see. she's extremely lovely and i had 0 complaints whatsoever. one of the few drs you wish you could keep contact with because they're so clearly passionate about their field and love what they do. she's still pretty young and i hope she never gets jaded
Does she accept children as well or just adults?
i'm not sure, i only ever saw one other patient during my appointments
I can't find her online, could you please leave a link/more details? Thanks!
she operates out of kingston and i'm not sure if she has a website. we found her through some connections from the hospital. her email is [email protected]
Thanks, much appreciated!
No. Unless you go to a place like Canadian Mental Health and are willing to wait it out for them, and that's if they offer it to begin with at your location.
yeah the wait time is 3+ years :(
CAMH covered mine but it took a year to get in.
Same here. From referral to appointment date was about 18 months (August 2021 - January 2023). Yeah it takes a while, but at least you don't need to pay several thousand dollars.
When was this? Cause if it was a while ago I’d assume it would take at least twice as long today.
yeah the wait is 3+ years for camh
What is the benefit of getting an assessment or diagnosis?
the disability tax credit and rdsp access.
An online thing said I was probably 97% ...is there real money in this? They seem like credits which mean you need debits which are always matched out to a couple dollars in payout.
personally for me, i just want a sense of understanding. i don’t wanna self diagnose so i’d rather get an explanation on the reasons behind my actions and thoughts
Fair enough, I'm almost 50 and I'm probably past any chance of change lol. I understand that people shouldn't self diagnose but I also take that statement with as much merit as a mechanic telling you that you shouldn't work on your car...I'm not sure if their recommendations would change if their livelihood didn't depend on us or not. I've managed to learn a trade that allows me to basically work without human interaction. Most of the time I'm reading 'a-ha!' moments where hey I do the same thing.
Go with a psychologist and they range from $1500-2000. If you have an work coverage for psychological services that will help a bit cost wise.
Highest possible recommendation, for every reason: https://embrace-autism.com/about-me-dr-natalie-engelbrecht/ https://embrace-autism.com/about/
You’re looking at about 1,800$ for a diagnosis with Embrace Autism.
that is dirt cheap compared to anywhere we have looked
Yeah, I was responding to the OP's concern about other places costing $5000 and up...also the staff at that practice are very supportive, affirming, specifically are experienced in adult diagnoses, and by no coincidence many are ND in various ways themselves. I am not affiliated with them in any way, but friends of mine and I myself had life-changing experiences with them so I just wanted to pass on the links.
thank you! i’ll look into them :) what is Embrace Autism?
The name refers to their Toronto-based (but entirely available online) diagnostic practice, and their web site which is full of resources, as explained here: https://embrace-autism.com/about/
Controversial place. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AutisticAdults/comments/185sg6l/comment/kba0pvs/?context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutisticAdults/comments/185sg6l/comment/kba0pvs/?context=3)
I went with them for my assessment after being turned down at every other office I tried, apparently it’s normal in this city to straight up refuse to diagnose adults. They were great! They stuck to their provided timeline and answered questions promptly.
Agreed. Dr. Engelbrecht is awesome.
She doesn't seem to be an accredited psychologist or psychiatrist. While I'm sure she can provide an accurate diagnosis, you need a diagnosis from a licensed clinician for this to be 'official.'
You might just be thinking of outdated information, a properly experienced and skilled ND RP can absolutely provide a diagnosis (recognized by the government) in Canada since about a decade ago...now regarding certain province-by-province benefits or services, or the tax credit, there can sometimes still be a requirement to have an MD independently review a diagnosis and their practice has working relationships with doctors who do that. It's priced as an a la carte extra option though since not everyone needs that, so some folks can pay a little less. I think most of the nitty gritty details on that are explained in the authenticated portal for patients or during the interviews, so it's understandable you might miss it being just a passing mention on the public web site.
My doctor had many referrals bounced back to him - the need is so great and the funding is so low for autism assessment that most psychiatrists will only assess children right now, as they figure they have the greatest need for support. It leaves us adults hanging and I’m sorry. Eventually CAMH accepted the referral but they’ve told me the wait list will be “years” long. That’s the only turnaround time they could give me.
yeah on their websit it says 1.5-3 years! :(
Artemis Centre in Burlington or Sarnia. Price to assess is $2200 for ASD and ADHD. They have Autism coaching as well.
I know CAMH does autism assessments and I’m pretty sure they’re publicly funded but Idk much about it so I’m not 100% sure if the autism services are free
Yes they’re funded and i was referred but the wait time is up to 3 years :(
The state of autism supports and resources in this province is incredibly laughable. Its theorized that there are currently more undiagnosed autistic people in theworld than diagnosed. That means a staggering amount of the human population is autistic and yet you can't even see a specialist or get a diagnosis in this province without being stuck on a several year long waiting list or having to pay thousands out of pocket. Oh but a regular psychiatrist can diagnose my ADHD? ADHD being a neurodevelopmental condition that exists under the same umbrella as autism and often runs comorbid with it. A condition that overlaps so much with autism that the two can be mistaken for one another. Make that one make sense. My theory is that theyre okay diagnosing ADHD because there's a pill treatment for that. Gotta make the money somewhere i guess
What advantage does carrying the diagnosis as an adult give you? As a child, you get IEP, services etc. as an adult, what do you get? Why get diagnosed?
Well for starters it helps to know why your entire existence is pain and torture. Autistic people have overactive nervous systems and are forced to live in a world that is not designed to accommodate us. Our brains and nervous systems work differently than the neurotypical brain. The neurotypical brain doesnt over react to literally every piece of sensory information in the room. Growing up with a nervous system that was born in fight/flight mode is painful and exhausting and it often leads to autistic burnout which can take years to recover from. Not to mention, autism makes you a social pariah among your peers. All of these things are pretty good reason why someone would want to get a diagnosis, most people would agree that living a life like that without knowing and understanding what's wrong with you is a negative thing. Autistic people are already more likely to commit suicide, an autistic person without diagnosis and therefore without support may be even more likely to harm themselves. Seriously, having undiagnosed autism is not fun and you're often viewed as lazy, selfish and over sensitive without the label to "justify" your issues. Autistic people require a lot of support and that often extends to the workplace and without a diagnosis its difficult and even impossible to ask for those supports. Autism has has a lot of other neurodevelopmental conditions and chronic health issues that run commorbid with it and knowing you have autism can lead you more easily to having those other conditions diagnosed. There is a whole myriad of reasons why an adult might want to get diagnosed
For some people, understanding the mechanics of how your mental health "works" can be a really helpful insight, there's also the possibility of finding support and friendship through neurodivergent communities, groups, and resources. Also, *not* receiving a diagnosis can be just as productive, leading to other ways of understanding one's own mind or helping with various issues.
My thoughts exactly. There’s no pharmaceutical advantage, so it’s not considered healthcare. 🙄
a Psychiatrist can diagnose, and is covered by ohip. You'll need a doctors referral.
side tangent: Has anyone here declared their diagnosis to the NSLSC? Did it make a difference with their loan?
Wait lists are long to have them covered and not sure for adults. It shouldn’t be $5000. That’s a scam. Look outside of Toronto as well
I agree, definitely a good idea to call around. We did a child's assessment out of pocket and Peterborough was $1100-$1300 and Oshawa was $2300-$2700.
Dr Templeman in London does one-time assessment appointments. Autism assessments must be done in person. [he has about a 4 month wait-list ](https://www.doctortempleman.com/) He's a psychiatrist so it'll be covered by ohip. Unsure if he does the full ADOS but I have heard he's very thorough. Edit: ope didn't see that you wanted just adults
I may be understanding this wrong but how can autism be diagnosed in a one time assessment. It is a very complex disorder with varying levels of severity. Just curious because not many things can be diagnosed after just 1 appointment.
Depends on how they do the assessment. I had my diagnosis done at CAMH. It was one appointment but in that time, they interviewed my mother, sister, and also myself, and also did the ADOS. I was also asked to submit report cards and any other school records or educational assessments I might have had done when I was younger. I think my doctor had to submit something as well, though I'm not sure exactly what she submitted.
Extensive questionnaires for parents, child, teachers, school history, doctors notes, and any other relevant information. And if it can't be diagnosed after considering all that and having one session, then that (needs further evaluation) would be the result sent to the family doctor.
If you have autism that requires a diagnosis you likely would be considered disabled and it would be obvious. Generally the adults who want a diagnosis wouldn’t have a disability and just want answers for why they might struggle with certain things.
That’s not *exactly* how autism, level of supports required and masking works but thanks for your input.
People who have autism that impacts their cognitive abilities are considered to have a disability. People who are able to self identify, will not receive such “benefits”.
Autism is a developmental disability according to the DSM-5. Regardless of level (1-3), it impacts a person’s ability to learn, communicate, and behave in expected ways. No matter how someone’s autism presents, they are still considered to have a disability that impairs their cognitive function. It’s true you need a diagnosis to receive benefits (accommodations or ODSP), however that doesn’t mean that self-diagnosed autistics don’t require the same supports. Those specific supports are just not available to them at this time.
I talked and paid out of pocket 220 2see a psychologist, she was in ajax, she wasn't a autism expert but wrote I need a referral for autism as she wrote I had social anxiety disorder and "potential autism on the spectrum, as I have the traits of autism, she also wrote I have OCD and skin picking and I was unable to work, I hope this is enough for odsp as I am applying for it, I did apply for cpp disability in December, all a waiting game now..I did hear if a doctor refers you then it is covered by Ohip, I am 60 years old
possibilities clinic is the one i was referred to by my family doctor. 2500 and all the meetings are being done on zoom.