What if I have no formal autism diagnosis yet?

Not all autistic people have an official diagnosis.  If you find you need one to access support, or to gain a better understanding of yourself GPs in Birmingham can refer you to SPACS for a quick diagnosis pathway.

Background

Sometimes students come to the university and they disclose that they believe they may be autistic. Students may find it takes a long time to get referral for an autism diagnosis and waiting lists can be long. This puts the students at an academic disadvantage as there may be delays in putting in autism specific academic support via Reasonable Adjustment Plans, Disabled Students Allowance and finding a Specialist (Autism) Mentor.

If students register with a Birmingham based GP for the duration of their studies, they can request referral to SPARC, the Specialist Adult Autism Assessment Resource Centre where they can be seen quickly for diagnosis and signposting to the support they might want.

The whole process can take about a month from when SPARC gets the go ahead.

What to do next?

Register with a Birmingham based GP and ask to be referred to SPARC

Practical tips

Once you are registered with your GP, you may need to make them aware of the SPARC referral form