In health care, diagnoses are used to understand people and to guide treatment. Diagnoses can be the ticket to support services and insurance coverage, even legally mandated treatment provisions. In other words, your insurance may be legally required to provide a support service once autism is diagnosed, if it is something you choose to pursue.
Diagnostic labels may serve as a gateway to societal and educational support services, as well as opportunities for research, community, and a sense of belonging. While neurodevelopmental and mental health diagnoses vary at different points in time and the course of a person’s development, they carry the power for great things with the right understanding and guidance.
It should be noted that a formal medical diagnosis of autism can only be made by clinically-qualified professionals with specialized autism diagnostic training (e.g., specialty-trained health care providers whether physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists.). Schools can also provide autism assessments, which can be helpful for educational planning. However, when they conclude that a student appears to have autism, it is considered an indication rather than a medical diagnosis. Some people also refer to this indication as ‘an educational diagnosis’.
