u/Forsaken_Income2806

For context, I am blind in one eye and I have so much trouble doing my own hair. A second mirror won't work because I can't see (a rounded mirror would probably work but I haven't found any) my hair is very thick as well.

I just don't always want to go to a stylist because of cost and limitations w transportation

I am a black young adult who has been trying to get an autism diagnosis since I was 16. At first when I was a child a therapist wrote in her notes that there was a possibility of PDD-NOS, then at 16 I researched autism and brought it up to my pediatrician. He said “you can’t be autistic, you make eye contact.” (Which wasn’t wrong, exactly. But I had to practice making eye contact because I noticed people don’t feel it’s weird if you don’t and even then it physically hurt lol)

After that, I went to my school psychologist a few months to a year later. I mentioned how I had difficulty walking as a toddler (stood on tippy toes) difficulty making eye contact, being bullied in school due to being ‘different’, etc. They wouldn’t diagnose me nor provide me with an IEP. They did give me a 504 plan which did not help really. I was told by a hospital psychologist that I should get evaluated for autism after she did an evaluation of another disorder I was diagnosed with unrelated to autism.

My dad was the only one who advocated for me (due to my mother being sick and I had no social support) but he passed a few years ago.

Presently, I have an ACTT team psychiatrist who I am working with for therapy and medication. (This isn’t ideal, I know.) and she seems to say one thing and then when presented with more information she changes her stance. For instance, in the past she has said “maybe they didn’t diagnose you with autism (the school)…because you don’t have autism.” And then last week she said “well, you do have autistic traits.” I’m aware ACTT teams aren’t built for the long term after being stable but it’s just really frustrating to me.

Anyone else been through something similar?