<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Exclusive:</span></strong><span> It's going to be much easier and cheaper to get an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-gps-to-diagnose-adhd/a89a6371-b96b-4345-826b-148497889697" rel="" target="" title="Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] diagnosis"><span>Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] diagnosis</span></a><span> in NSW and some Australians are calling for Autism Spectrum Disorder to be next.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ashlee Law always knew she experienced the world differently but signs of her ADHD and autism were overlooked for decades.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She didn't exhibit many traits typically associated with autistic people, like avoiding eye contact or struggling socially, so her struggled were brushed off as mental health issues.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/isis-bride-banned-from-returning-minister-confirms-passports/89c77960-817b-4759-b7aa-6a7c1b2ff32c" target="_blank"><strong><span>At least one 'ISIS bride' blocked from returning as minister confirms group has passports</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It wasn't until her three children, including one daughter, were diagnosed with autism that Law realised the truth.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Through my daughter's diagnostic process I realised her traits were reflected in myself," Law told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I just couldn't ignore it."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-gp-adhd-diagnosis-autism-next/5bf3b2e0-e55c-4ea0-963d-668a713318f4" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>New research has shown autism presents differently in girls and women, which is why so many aren't diagnosed until adulthood.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Females with autism are more likely to have strong imaginations, be intense and possessive about friends, mimic others in social situations, and hold their emotions in check in public but melt down at home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They're also more likely to mask their autistic traits, which Law had been doing unconsciously for decades.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She spent five years and close to $4000 on GP visits, specialist appointments, and assessments to get an ADHD and autism diagnosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>By the time she was formally diagnosed in 2019, Law was 30, working two jobs and raising three autistic kids.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Getting a diagnosis was emotionally exhausting but the validation was worth it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It helped her make sense of her own mind how she experienced the world.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I stopped with a lot of the self-blame," she said. "The shift was life-changing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Law doubts she would have don it if she hadn't already been through the process with her children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nor would she have been able to afford it if she wasn't already financially stable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Autism can only be diagnosed by paediatricians, psychiatrists and psychologists in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The diagnostic process usually requires multiple referrals, meaning high out-of-pocket fees, and Medicare rebates are only available to eligible patients under the age of 25.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's so many people that are like, 'I think I am [autistic], I know I am, but I can't afford the the diagnosis,'" Law said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/mark-zuckerberg-to-testify-in-social-media-addiction-trial/c4f2e056-f4d5-42e1-b955-668aba56a378" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mark Zuckerberg to testify in watershed social media trial</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite the cost, autism diagnoses are on the rise.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just over 200,000 Australians were living with autism in 2018 according to ABS data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>By 2022, it was nearly 300,000 – an increase of more than 40 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The spike in diagnoses has been linked to a greater awareness of autism and a growing understanding of how autism presents in women and girls.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Until recently, autism was believed to overwhelmingly affect boys and men but new research suggests the ratio of males to females with autism could be as low as 2:1.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now research is painting a clearer picture of how autism presents in women and a growing number of adult women are seeking a diagnosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-crime-man-arrested-after-bomb-scare-near-two-schools-in-st-kilda-east/c6a13748-8525-4bb3-a97f-bd8aed5ff755" target="_blank"><strong><span>Man charged after alleged Melbourne school bomb scare</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Making autism assessments more accessible could be life-changing for women like Law.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Especially because autism and ADHD diagnoses frequently overlap, and major reforms in NSW are being rolled out to make getting an ADHD diagnosis cheaper and easier.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NSW GPs with specialist training will soon be to diagnose ADHD, which until now could only be diagnosed by psychiatrists and paediatricians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>GPs have also been allowed to fill repeat ADHD medication scripts since September 2025, saving some families up to $1400 annually.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>RACGP NSW and ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said allowing GPs to diagnose ADHD will be life-changing for thousands of NSW patients.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Associate professor and clinical psychologist Jessica Paynter, who is on the Board of the Australian Autism Alliance, now wants reforms to make autism assessments more accessible.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At the moment, pathways to diagnosis for autistic adults are quite costly and quite time consuming," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The cost can be upwards of $2000 [and] waitlists can be substantial, so they can be three months, six months, or in some cases even years."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paynter wants that to change, but she's not advocating for GPs to be able to diagnose autism.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/australian-dollar-why-is-it-higher-what-happens-next-impact-economy-inflation-explained/26f64631-31ed-47ec-a0e7-ecfb4ee49859" target="_blank"><strong><span>The stronger Aussie dollar looks here to stay – and it's not just travellers who are set to benefit</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead she called for the age cut-off for Medicare rebates for autism diagnosis to be lifted and additional government funding for diagnosis resources and providers through the National Autism Strategy's health and mental health roadmap.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The strategy and roadmap were released a year ago to provide a national approach to services and supports for autistic people and their families.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paynter said it was a great start but needs action to make an impact.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She also advocated for more training across health services on how autism presents in women and girls, so people like Law aren't overlooked for decades.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dr Susannah French, a sociologist and independent consultant who was diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, agrees things need to change.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her PhD research examined why girls and women are frequently missed in autism diagnosis and identified cost as a major barrier.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clinicians are also more likely to dismiss women and girls because they don't fit diagnostic criteria historically normed on boys.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Autism assessment in women, unfortunately has lagged behind the research and that gap still has real consequences," she told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, they've got to acknowledge that there is an opportunity to do better work in those spaces."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/burpengary-crash-man-killed-in-horror-head-on-smash-on-bruce-highway/d24b5b1e-2ef6-4500-aae8-83745f9185ab" target="_blank"><strong><span>Ute found after man killed in horror head-on smash on major Queensland highway</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She advocates for co-design and education involving autistic experts to improve the diagnostic pathways for autism in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>French said people deserve to know what's going on in their own brains, but high out-of-pocket costs and outdated diagnostic criteria are holding many back.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It means undiagnosed autistic adults all over the country are living without clarity, validation and, in many cases, appropriate support, therapies, and accommodations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You think you're useless, broken, or damaged, but that's not actually true at all."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" 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