u/RebelTurian

Hi all, bit of a silly issue but I would welcome a reality check from people who went through something similar:

I'm in England and went through the NHS autism assessment at the beginning of January after 3.5 years on the waiting list. After the last appointment, I was told I would hear from them "soon". I was a bit too frazzled to ask what "soon" means, so that's on me, but it has led to a lot of anxiety since then.

Two months later, I emailed to inform them that I would be hard to reach due to a family emergency for the next two weeks, just in case they had been planning to reach out during that time. I did receive a reply and was told that they hadn't started discussing my case yet, that they hadn't been able to translate my non-English school records yet, but they would soon schedule a talk with my informant (my therapist at that time, which is not ideal, I know, but it is what it is). My therapist told me they spoke to the assessor soon after.

Since March, I have had no contact with them, and it's really starting to worry me a lot. I have two autistic friends, but their diagnosis procedures were very different, so I can't draw conclusions from that. What I have found online seems to indicate that more than half a year is a long time to wait? But I am unsure if my impression is correct?

I am debating whether I should follow up again, but I am really worried about coming across as demanding or pushy or inconsiderate or, worse, stressing people out when they're probably overworked. So I was wondering if I could hear from some people who went the NHS route:

Is a 7+ month wait normal? Am I being unreasonable and freaking out about nothing? How long did you wait? Would it be rude to email and ask for an update?

Thank you!

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For context and full disclosure:

I think I'm probably not autistic, though I do think there's a lot wrong with me mentally. However, two GPs and two therapists have suggested I should get assessed. There is no "need" for a diagnosis; I would just really like to know. So I fully understand that other cases might be more pressing than mine, and maybe that's the reason I've been pushed back, and it's taking so long. But I do worry.

(edited for clarity)