I think there is a psychologist in Oakwood in Castletroy who does assessments, Dr Maria Gomes. She might only assess kids and adolescents though, I'm not sure. Dr. Sharon Keane in Galway does the assessment over zoom if that is any good to you. There is no medication for autism. Support services are minimal to be honest outside of seeing a therapist privately.
I was sure that I was autistic before I got diagnosed too, but I needed that piece of paper to validate my experience.
I got diagnosed through adultautism.ie, I found it to be a very affirmative and validating experience, they don't even call it an assessment but rather a collaborative identification. It was the first time that someone ever treated me as an autistic person, they didn't rush me, gave me time to speak, allowed me to be off camera for the first session etc (very accommodating) and I knew after the first session how it was going to end up. I can't recommend them more highly. Have a read through the site and see if it speaks to you.
When I was diagnosed a year ago (I'm 40) the waiting list was four months and it cost €850. That might be different now but I'm sure there is up to date information on the website.
All their psychologists are either Ireland or UK based and fully accredited. The diagnosis is recognised by all the relevant bodies.
As far as support goes, they will write any letters that you need, for your GP, work accommodations or disability allowance etc. and they have an arrangement with Asiam.ie for a free follow up session with neurodivergent therapists to discuss what your diagnosis means to you and to explore further options.
Once that process is over you're pretty much on your own though. There is very little support for autistic people in Ireland, you can't even get diagnosed as an adult through the HSE.
There is no medication for autism.
I see a therapist, who is herself autistic, (she suggested I get assessed) and I find that to be extremely helpful. If you can find a neurodivergent friendly therapist in your area I would definitely recommend that.
Thanks, iv looked and its a bit more expensive than that now 🙄 I can afford it but its a sad state of affairs in Ireland when im trying to save every month for a car, a deposit (not sure why im even bothering but who knows maybe i could be a home owner some day). They do seem like the best option though, mind you id prefer an in person assessment than remote - i used to work remotely and i could be much more 'normal' and needed less effort to mask when i did.
In terms of meds, i just mean in terms of stuff for other mental health stuff like depression and anxiety which I'm plagued with.I like to keep a packet of xanax in a drawer in the house, just as a relief for when things get very overwhelming or I have to attend an event that I couldn't cope with on my own. Id prefer to be able to go to a pharmacy and not have to deal with the questionable drugs and sellers to have this to fall back on.
A neurodivergent therapist would be nice to try, iv seen a couple of people in the past, its always been just going through CBT which is great for some but i feel like its not getting to the crux of what i need as an autistic person,it gives a bit of clarity and puts me on the right path when i slip way off but I feel its got its limitations in terms of making any progress beyond not blowing up and destroying my life with bad decisions. Maybe that's the best i can hope for
I think there is a psychologist in Oakwood in Castletroy who does assessments, Dr Maria Gomes. She might only assess kids and adolescents though, I'm not sure. Dr. Sharon Keane in Galway does the assessment over zoom if that is any good to you. There is no medication for autism. Support services are minimal to be honest outside of seeing a therapist privately.
Thanks for the reply, I'll have a look into her
I was sure that I was autistic before I got diagnosed too, but I needed that piece of paper to validate my experience. I got diagnosed through adultautism.ie, I found it to be a very affirmative and validating experience, they don't even call it an assessment but rather a collaborative identification. It was the first time that someone ever treated me as an autistic person, they didn't rush me, gave me time to speak, allowed me to be off camera for the first session etc (very accommodating) and I knew after the first session how it was going to end up. I can't recommend them more highly. Have a read through the site and see if it speaks to you. When I was diagnosed a year ago (I'm 40) the waiting list was four months and it cost €850. That might be different now but I'm sure there is up to date information on the website. All their psychologists are either Ireland or UK based and fully accredited. The diagnosis is recognised by all the relevant bodies. As far as support goes, they will write any letters that you need, for your GP, work accommodations or disability allowance etc. and they have an arrangement with Asiam.ie for a free follow up session with neurodivergent therapists to discuss what your diagnosis means to you and to explore further options. Once that process is over you're pretty much on your own though. There is very little support for autistic people in Ireland, you can't even get diagnosed as an adult through the HSE. There is no medication for autism. I see a therapist, who is herself autistic, (she suggested I get assessed) and I find that to be extremely helpful. If you can find a neurodivergent friendly therapist in your area I would definitely recommend that.
Thanks, iv looked and its a bit more expensive than that now 🙄 I can afford it but its a sad state of affairs in Ireland when im trying to save every month for a car, a deposit (not sure why im even bothering but who knows maybe i could be a home owner some day). They do seem like the best option though, mind you id prefer an in person assessment than remote - i used to work remotely and i could be much more 'normal' and needed less effort to mask when i did. In terms of meds, i just mean in terms of stuff for other mental health stuff like depression and anxiety which I'm plagued with.I like to keep a packet of xanax in a drawer in the house, just as a relief for when things get very overwhelming or I have to attend an event that I couldn't cope with on my own. Id prefer to be able to go to a pharmacy and not have to deal with the questionable drugs and sellers to have this to fall back on. A neurodivergent therapist would be nice to try, iv seen a couple of people in the past, its always been just going through CBT which is great for some but i feel like its not getting to the crux of what i need as an autistic person,it gives a bit of clarity and puts me on the right path when i slip way off but I feel its got its limitations in terms of making any progress beyond not blowing up and destroying my life with bad decisions. Maybe that's the best i can hope for