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WARNING: This is a placeholder site at the very earliest developmental stage
----- not an illness
Being autistic is not at all a mental health matter, except by accident of history, long-term societal nonacceptance, and billing imposition by certain authorities such as the DSM and ICD manuals. Autism is a societally-constructed disability however.
----- need for diagnosis remains
In order to
- get past some gatekeepers,
- access slender services and accommodations,
- silence armchair/scoffing relatives, colleagues and friends,
- overcome fears of 'imposterism'
... formal diagnosis is still often necessary.
----- the healthiest option
The alternative for many, considered equal by all international autistic organisations, is self-discovery/self-identification as we cannot and should not do a mis-named 'self-diagnosis'. There are supports and steps that one can choose to be assisted in such ways.
----- public diagnosis
Health NZ joined two fractured parts of the government health scene together in 2021 in order to (LOL) end postcode-based access to services, including adult autism diagnosis.
But they STILL did not establish ring-fenced funding for that vast legacy demand for adult diagnoses, and so AMHS Adult Mental Health Services continue to be gate-kept by ridiculous 'need' rules-of-thumb, rationed by ridiculous waitlists, and/or seemingly random or post-code based availabilities.
----- private diagnosis
This can cost between $750 and $3000+ and require serious inputs and time.
Most diagnosing was done for children by Paediatricians and Paediatricians-to-24-years (an extended-ages specialist) in the past, but now and more often done by MDATs or Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Teams that include Occupational Therapist, Speech Pathologist, Educationalist, and Kaitiaki (Person and Process Guardian/Navigator) inputs.
For adults, Psychologists lead the way in diagnosing for New Zealand because Autism is seen here like in the UK & Australia as a psychological/neurosocial matter
- thanks to Psychologists like Frith and Wing,
unlike the USA/Canada where Psychiatrists hold sway because of Psychiatrists
- no thanks to Kanner, Rimland, and Bettelheim,
or France/Greece/Argentina where Psychotherapists are dominant
- no thanks to Freud, Pelloux and Woodbury.
Many psychologist-diagnosticians have withdrawn from offering such a much needed service or are unable to take on additional clients for long stretches. Among other reasons, it can more easily lead to burn-out than, say, working with child autistics, earlier.
Many adults are seeking diagnosis because of complex crises that involve employment, or conflict, or trauma, or breakdowns, or misdiagnosis, or multiple diagnoses. Hard work. I for one, am no longer cute or easy.
I personally would query the validity of some of the assessors/diagnosticians, their qualifications and other capabilities, their ethics if diagnosis is not followed-up with any needed supports or candidates are not advised of that possibility - with costs outlined. I won't mention those possibilities therefore.
For Wellington, I will only mention three options that I believe are in the good to excellent category:
1)
Dr Ava Ruth Baker
Kapiti Coast, and ?Hutt
(recently reopened to receiving enquiries)
(fully trained by the world-leading expert, Dr Lorna Wing)
(if unavailable, Ava may be in a position to recommend local alternatives)
avaruth.baker@xtra.co.nz
2)
Lynne Goodbrand
Kapiti Psychological Associates
(expect to wait 5-9 months)
22 Raumati Road, Raumati Beach, Paraparaumu, 5032
021 0299-3427
lgoodbrand@gmail.com
https://www.nzccp.co.nz/psychologist/248
3)
Ray Powell
Registered Psychologist
5 Trinidad Crescent, Grenada Village, Wellington, 6037
04 478-7005 or 022 413-6577
ray@powellpsychology.nz
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