Autism Diagnosis for Adults

Autism Assessment for Adults in BC: Your Options

BC currently has no publicly funded pathway designed specifically to assess autism in adults. That can be frustrating, especially when you’re looking for answers about yourself. Here are some options to explore.

Private assessment

Private assessment is the most common route for adults. It usually costs between $3,000 and $5,000.

If you have extended health benefits, your psychologist coverage may help pay for it. Some people plan their appointments across two benefit years to get more of the cost covered. For example, you might book some appointments near the end of one benefit year and the rest after your coverage renews. Check with your benefits provider about what’s covered and when your benefit year resets.

Other options to explore

We’ve heard of a small number of people who found other funding for an adult assessment. These pathways are less clear and won’t be available to everyone, but they may be worth asking about:

• Local mental health services: If you’re receiving counselling through your local mental health services, ask whether they can help with an assessment. In some cases, they have covered the cost.
• Employment programs: Some job placement agencies have programs that can help with an assessment.
• Community Living BC (CLBC): Contact your local CLBC office to ask what information and support may be available to you.
• Autistic peers: Other autistic adults can share their lived experience, offer support and may know of assessment options in your area.
• Your family doctor or nurse practitioner: They can refer you to a psychiatrist, whose services are covered by MSP (BC’s Medical Services Plan). However, we’re not currently aware of any psychiatrists in BC who feel trained or comfortable assessing autism in adults.

Current Private Assessment Options in BC

For an up-to-date directory of autism assessment providers in BC:

1. Log in to the member portal. Use the email and password you set up when you joined. Go to the member portal.
2. Open the guide and directory. Once you’re logged in, select Assessment Guide in the menu on the left side of the portal.

Note: AutismBC does not oversee Private Clinicians. We provide a list to assist with making informed decisions. Please do your own due diligence when choosing an assessor. This is not an exhaustive list.

Finding an assessor without a membership: Our private assessor directory is available to AutismBC members. If you’d prefer not to become a member, you can search the BC Psychological Association’s Find a Registered Psychologist directory instead. Look for psychologists who assess autism in adults.

Before booking, ask whether they have experience assessing autistic adults, what the assessment includes, what it costs, and whether they offer virtual appointments. If you plan to use extended health benefits, confirm the psychologist is registered so your plan will cover the cost.

Self-Assessment Tools/Screening Tools

The Diagnostic Assessment Process in BC 

There’s no single standardized process for diagnosing autism in adults in BC. Clinicians use DSM-5 criteria, and assessments often include some or all of these parts (Iarocci, 2021):

1. A structured observation. Many clinicians use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), which has a module designed for teens and adults. It’s a conversation and set of activities where the clinician observes how you communicate and interact. Some clinicians don’t use the ADOS with adults, because it can miss autistic people who mask.
2. Developmental history. The clinician gathers information about your early life, often by talking with a parent, sibling, partner or other relative. They may also look at records like school report cards, videos or journals. If no one is available to share your early history, an assessment can still go ahead.
3. Questionnaires. You, and sometimes someone who knows you well, fill out questionnaires about your experiences in childhood and now, including at work or school.
4. Work and education history. The clinician looks at your strengths and challenges at work or school over time.

Clinicians may also look at whether other conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety or depression, are part of the picture.

Why is adult diagnosis important? 

British Columbia doesn’t currently track the number of adults diagnosed with autism. About 1 in 21 children in BC have an autism diagnosis (FAQs — AutismBC). If adults are autistic at a similar rate, around 100,000 adults in the province may meet the criteria for autism.

Many of these adults weren’t diagnosed as children. Some had strong language or academic skills that hid their support needs. Others, especially women and gender-diverse people, didn’t match the narrow picture of autism that clinicians were trained to look for. And many were diagnosed with anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions that overshadowed what we now recognize as an autistic profile.

Understanding yourself

Most adults seek a diagnosis for personal validation and self-understanding (Worling, 2021). A diagnosis can help you make sense of past experiences, like feeling different from others, struggling in certain environments, or working hard to “fit in.” Many adults describe it as a relief: a new way of understanding themselves with more compassion and less self-blame.

Accessing benefits and supports

Some diagnosed adults may apply for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) or Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation. A formal diagnosis can also make it easier to ask for accommodations at work or school, such as through a post-secondary accessibility office.

Better care

A diagnosis can help health care providers, counsellors and other professionals understand your needs, from sensory sensitivities to communication preferences. It can also lead to more accurate support for mental health conditions that often occur alongside autism.

Finding community

For many adults, a diagnosis opens the door to autistic community. Connecting with others who share similar experiences can be affirming and can offer practical ideas for living well.

A diagnosis isn’t the only path

A formal diagnosis isn’t accessible or right for everyone. If cost, wait times or past experiences with health systems make assessment difficult, self-identification is also valid. Read our article on why autism self-identification is valid.

Peer Connections 

• Support Groups — AutismBC— Connect with peers that may offer support, lived experiences, or other possible options for an autism assessment.
• Autistics United Canada (AUC) 
• Autism Canada: ASD Central 
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) 
• Autistic Women Victoria BC 
• Victoria Autism Meetup Group
• Autistic Adults of the Okanagan

Mental Health Resources

• Autism Mental Health Literacy Project (AM-Help) – Mental Health Literacy Guide for Autism to increase awareness and share knowledge around issues related to Autistic mental health.
• Interior Health Authority: Mental Health & Substance Use Services 
• Island Health: Mental Health & Substance Use Services 
• Fraser Health Authority: Mental Health & Substance Use Services 
• Northern Health: Mental Health & Substance Use 
• Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH): Mental Health Services 
• Autism BC Theme Resources: Autism Mental Health 
  
• Autistic Lens:  Reasons Autism Self Diagnosis is Valid 
• AutismBC Highlights: Natalie Engelbrecht and Embrace Autism  

 Looking for More Adult Resources? 

• Autistic Adulting — AutismBC Resource Blog
• Housing Supports for Autistic Adults — AutismBC Resource Blog 
• Autism BC Talks Adult Diagnosis  — AutismBC Information Session 2021
• Autism Q&A: Transitioning into Adulthood — AutismBC Resource Blog 
• Autism BC Talks with Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) — AutismBC Information Session 2021
• Autism BC Talks Adult Diagnosis with Dr. Grace Iarocci and Dr. David Worling