I've been wondering for quite a while if I have autism or not as I seem to hit a lot of the commonly reported symptoms and experiences. I recently tried some of the self-tests out there, including the ones on Embrace Autism, and yeah, I hit every single one I tried for mild to even moderate autism. Scored 49 on the rbq-2a for example.
Now, I know that none of those tests are conclusive and I could easily be a false positive, so I'm not directly claiming I have autism. But I'm thinking the next step is probably to talk to my primary care doctor, but to be honest I'm really hesitant to/don't completely trust the mental health system in Canada. Genuinely asking because I don't really have anyone in my personal life who has similar experiences or I think would understand: what do people here think about getting a formal diagnosis? Is it always something one should pursue if they suspect they're on the spectrum? Are there any major drawbacks? I'm especially concerned about it affecting my career prospects (which already aren't great tbh, my fault for getting a science degree in an already niche field which I deeply regret but that's a different story) or my ability to take out loans or rent an apartment by myself. I don't personally see my autism (if I have it) as a disability, but unfortunately in Canada it is still very much seen as such. Who am I required to disclose an autism diagnosis if I am diagnosed?
I'm really sorry if any of this comes off as insensitive. I have never really participated in the autism online community and I am in no way trying to put down people with autism, I'm honestly just kind of scared about what this means for me. Anyone else in a similar situation, or were in a similar situation? Care to share your experiences or have any advice?
I can't speak for Canada, but in the US a formal diagnosis makes it easier to get prescriptions or other treatments, such as therapy.
As far as required disclosures, you aren't required to disclose anything to anyone. However, disclosing a diagnosis to an employer often opens up their ability to provide accommodation. The ADA also prevents employers from discriminating based on disabilities, and 'disability' in this context tends to be interpreted very broadly.
An example from real life: I am a manager at a grocery store, and one of the people on my team has some kind of ADD/ADHD/autism spectrum thing going on. It's pretty obvious, I recognize the symptoms. However, he has not disclosed anything to me, so I have to pretend I dont see it and treat him with the same expectations as everyone else.
If he were to come to me with a diagnosis, I can ask him how I can help him, what he needs to be able to do well, what sorts of things tend to distract him, etc.
Once again, this is all from south of the border, though, so my takeaway would be to see if there's any similar legislation in the Great White North.