After an autism diagnosis

Understanding your diagnosis, your rights, and the practical steps that follow, in Scotland

Reviewed by ADHD Scot,

What nobody tells you after diagnosis

An autism diagnosis is an explanation, not a prescription. The expert consensus on co-occurring ADHD and autism (Young et al., 2020, BMC Medicine) says: "ADHD medications should not be offered to treat people with ASD (without co-occurring ADHD) as there is no evidence for a positive effect in this population". What follows a diagnosis is more personal and less structured, which can feel like being handed something important and then left to figure out what to do with it.

This page covers the practical steps and options that follow an autism diagnosis in Scotland.

Processing the diagnosis

However you reached this point, a diagnosis in adulthood can bring complicated feelings: relief at finally having an explanation, grief for the years spent without one, uncertainty about what it means going forward, or all of these at once.

There is no right way to respond. Some people find it changes very little in their day-to-day life. Others find it prompts a re-evaluation of their history, relationships, and sense of self.

What matters practically is that you now have a formal diagnosis, and what that enables.

Your diagnostic report

Your written diagnostic report is one of the most practically important things to come out of your assessment. Keep multiple copies, digital and physical. You may find it useful for:

  • Workplace reasonable adjustments
  • University or college support arrangements
  • Adult Disability Payment (ADP) applications (mygov.scot says "You do not need to include an official diagnosis" but asks for a document from a professional that confirms your conditions, disability or needs)
  • Social care assessments
  • Explaining your diagnosis to healthcare providers

If you received a private diagnosis, your report should be detailed enough that any professional reading it can understand the basis for the diagnosis and what support you may need. If it is very brief, you can ask your provider to expand it.

Workplace rights and reasonable adjustments

GOV.UK says: "You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities." The Act does not apply to Northern Ireland. Whether autism meets this definition depends on its effect on you. GOV.UK says employers "must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs".

Reasonable adjustments vary by person and role. These are examples you might ask about (ADHD Scot suggestions, not an official list):

  • Written rather than verbal instructions
  • Advance notice of changes to routine or expectations
  • A quieter working environment, or noise-cancelling headphones
  • Flexible start and finish times to avoid sensory overload during commuting
  • Clear, unambiguous communication and regular structured check-ins
  • Work from home arrangements where the role allows

Under Schedule 8, paragraph 20 of the Equality Act 2010, an employer is "not subject to a duty to make reasonable adjustments if [it] does not know, and could not reasonably be expected to know ... that an interested disabled person has a disability and is likely to be placed at the disadvantage". Sharing your diagnostic report or a summary of your needs may make it easier for your employer to understand what adjustments would help.

Access to Work "can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability". Through it you can apply for "a grant to help pay for practical support with your work", such as specialist equipment and support workers. GOV.UK says you must be "in paid work (or be about to start or return to paid work in the next 12 weeks)" and "live and work ... in England, Scotland or Wales".

Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is administered by Social Security Scotland. mygov.scot says it is "extra money to help you if you have a disability or long-term health condition that affects your everyday life", that "The amount you get depends on how your condition affects your ability to do everyday activities and get around", and that "Your income and savings are not taken into account". It also says "From 6 November 2025, anyone in Scotland who gets PIP will have to make a new application for Adult Disability Payment."

You can "Apply even if you're waiting for a diagnosis". The daily living activities mygov.scot lists include "communicating verbally", "engaging socially with other people face to face" and "making budgeting decisions"; the mobility part covers "planning and following a journey or moving around".

For supporting information, mygov.scot asks for "a document from a professional that confirms your conditions, disability or needs", for example "a letter from your GP about an appointment", and says "You do not need to include an official diagnosis." You can also give information from "someone who knows you well".

Full guide to ADP for ADHD and autism in Scotland →

Adult Disability Payment, mygov.scot →

Social care support in Scotland

Social care is arranged through your local council. mygov.scot says that for Self-directed Support (SDS) you can "Contact your local council’s social work department" and "ask for a social care assessment", and that "Each council sets their own rules for who can get this support." SDS "gives you more choice and control over how your support is arranged and delivered". The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013, section 5, sets out the choice of options for adults whose needs call for community care services.

NHS support after diagnosis

Ask your GP or the diagnosing service what follow-up support is available in your area. If you are not offered any, you can ask specifically about:

  • Referral to occupational therapy for sensory or daily living support
  • Psychology input for managing anxiety or burnout
  • Post-diagnostic support groups run by the health board or local charities

Organisations that can help

Scottish Autism, which describes itself as "Scotland’s leading autism charity" that supports "autistic people and their families across the country".

National Autistic Society Scotland, which says it provides "a range of services and support" and campaigns "at national and local level".

ADHD Scotland, an independent charity registered in Scotland that says it "celebrates, supports, informs, and represents people living with ADHD throughout Scotland, and their families".

Citizens Advice Scotland, part of the Citizens Advice network in Scotland (see its site for the topics it covers).

If you also have ADHD

Autism and ADHD can occur together. The expert consensus (Young et al., 2020, BMC Medicine) says rates "vary": in children, clinical studies of ADHD symptoms in autism report "between 53 and 78%", and community samples "28–31%".

See our AuDHD page →

Trusted further reading

ADHD Scot is an independent, non-clinical information project. Nothing here is medical advice. Always speak to your GP or a qualified clinician about your own health and support needs.