Autistic people may act in a different way to other people
Autistic people may:
- find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
- find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
- find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
- get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
- take longer to understand information
- do or think the same things over and over
There is more information available here:
Referral Pathways
There are 3 diagnosis pathways:
| Have a specialist assessment with the NHS | In Dorset, this involves a referral to CMHT (Community Mental Health Team) |
| Right To Choose | You have a legal right to choose your mental healthcare provider and your choice of mental healthcare team. This important right means that, for instance, should you decide the waiting time for your ASD assessment is too long, then you can choose alternative providers. Further information on right to choose can be found here: How to request an autism assessment |
| Private Assessment | Long waiting lists and lack of accessibility of Right to Choose throughout the UK means private diagnosis and treatment is a serious consideration for many, despite the financial cost often being a significant sacrifice. How to request an autism assessment |
What to do if you think you may have ASD
If you think you may have ASD and wish to be referred for an assessment, please:
- Read the information provided above and decide the referral pathway you wish to use.
- Complete the relevant form:
- For CMHT referrals, please complete this form: https://beaufortroadsurgery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CMHT-ASD-questionnaire.pdf
- For Right to Choose providers, you will need to download the form from the providers website.
- Return the form to the Practice (Beaufortroad.surgery@nhs.net) along with the name of the provider you wish to be referred to.
Our medical secretary team will then arrange the referral on your behalf and you will hear directly from your chosen provider.
Please note, the Practice is unable to speed up any wait time, but further support can be found below.
Support With ASD
We are aware that waiting for a diagnosis can be daunting. Below is a link to the Dorset Recovery Education Centre who run courses including some specific to ASD to help people with understanding and developing strategies to manage their difficulties. You do not need an official diagnosis to access this support directly and you can enrol for these using the link.
Courses :: Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
You may find this a helpful starting point.
There is also further support available from:
ADHD UK
National Autistic Society
MindOUT
Mental health support for the LGBTQ community.
Samaritans
Mental health support for everyone.