C?r Doyle:

In terms of services, there are some services that technically autistic people can apply to for help, like different employment services. Despite our organisation having nearly 900 members and even though I am involved in various other autistic groups, I have never heard of somebody successfully availing of such services. We are talking about a lack of diagnosis unless people can afford it. I am one of the rare people in Ireland who was diagnosed as an adult publicly. To do so is very difficult and taxing. You essentially have to be a suicide risk before it is considered. I was previously diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, BPD, a diagnosis that I still stand by and a condition I still believe I have. However, I am aware that many autistic people in Ireland, especially autistic women, are diagnosed with BPD incorrectly. Borderline personality disorder shares a lot of traits with autism, the main difference being that autistic traits present from childhood whereas BPD traits are developed later in life. I had to go toe-to-toe with people and fight to make the point that as much as I valued the BPD diagnosis, I thought there was also an autistic diagnosis.

It took a year of fighting my own corner before I was able to be diagnosed. This is not a place people want to be when they are already fighting against all the gremlins in their brain on a daily basis merely to survive. To add in an extra fight against a service that is supposed to be helping someone is counterintuitive. I would never have been able to afford this privately. As Nem has already mentioned, like many other people I have to put my child first. Any money will always go towards my child's healthcare over my healthcare. It is not right that we are putting autistic parents in the position of having to decide who is more important right now. Assessments are not availably publicly for parents and the assessment waits are too long for the children. This is all I have to say on it.