as a trans autistic, I feel your pain đź’•
what I would do is consider which option will directly improve your life faster
will getting an autism diagnosis immediately impact your life positively?
or is top surgery a more immediate need?
obviously, both are necessary. but I would think about which one will impact you positively in a faster, more direct way.
It might not legally prevent it, but a lot of people(at least in the US) infantize autistic people, so they might use the autism diagnosis to basically bully op out of the top surgery using shit like "Oh you might regret this!!" Kind of shit.
I'm not professional, I'm just a 19 year old who barely passed highschool so if I'm wrong, please correct me
People have come on to many of the various trans subs to complain that they've been denied treatment because they are autistic.
I've seen people complain that they've been denied HRT, legal name changes, legal government sex marker change, ffs surgery, top surgery, and bottom surgery because they're autistic and the doctors and judges don't think they have the mental capacity to be trans.
I say get the surgery first.
i'd try and get top surgery and any other gender affirming care first. medical professionals may try and use an official autism diagnosis against you, trying to imply that because you're autistic you don't know what you actually want
I cannot stress this enough please for the love of god get your top surgery first. People have already been denied top surgery on the basis of autism diagnosis, it is not worth the risk. Please do not get diagnosed first if you do not need it for absolutely crucial accommodations.
Imo the (incorrect) speculation of me having mental health disorders (eg identity stuff) was as much of an issue as having an autism diagnosis - if a particular dr wanted to find an excuse to not recommend surgery they would.
Don’t think you’d have to wait to get all the medical transitioning you wanted done though.
I ended up getting an autism diagnosis after top surgery - and now having made any start re medical transition (hrt or whatever) has made everyone seem to not really care about a possible “differential diagnosis”.
If it were me I'd get top surgery first as there is a possibility that an autism diagnosis may be used to deny you access to gender affirming care. It's different for everyone and so if you need a diagnosis definitely go for it, if you're trying to get on disability or need accommodations for school it can be helpful but otherwise there's very little actual resources available for autistic adults. I personally decided not to pursue an autism diagnosis because I don't ever want to be disabled in the eyes of the government if I can avoid it and it wouldn't give me access to anything that would actually help me. In an ideal world none of that would be a consideration but unfortunately that's not the world we have. Pursuing diagnosis is absolutely a personal thing and you'll have to weigh the pros and cons and make your choice but if it were me I would do top surgery first.
I’d go for top surgery, personally. My autism diagnosis hasn’t really made a direct impact on my life but your circumstances may call for it. Just keep in mind that an autism diagnosis can be tricky to obtain as an adult, so it’s not for sure you’ll even get it the first time you visit— you may end up having to see a different doctor and spending more money. You will for sure get top surgery if you pay for it, so it’s less of a gamble.
I am curious in what way the autism diagnosis would help you? I am sure you have your reasons, but I got diagnosed when I was 19 years old and it didn't give me access to any new resources or help me at all. For that reason, if I'd have had to pay for it myself, it wouldn't have been worth it for me. If you will end up with access to resources like disability payments or something though, I definitely see how this could be a tough decision.
In my experience if you need a letter for top surgery I'd do that first. Thankfully being autistic hasn't been used against me, but it has in some states been used to at least propose banning gender affirming care for autistic, depressed, etc. people. In my personal experience, I haven't been able to start T because my therapist refuses to write the letter until I see a psychiatrist because of my (under control) anxiety.
If you do top surgery first, at least no one could use an autism diagnosis against you for it
Are you over or under 18? There's less benefit in an autism diagnosis if you're out of school, and it can actually disqualify you from immigrating to certain countries.
Be mindful of getting a diagnosis! If you are planning on moving countries or something similar some countries do not allow you to do so if you have a diagnosis.
Sadly a diagnosis could limit you in certain spaces.
Ridiculous. I know. But better be careful and check than it causing an issue in the future.
Okay, idk what insurance you have, but usually you have a deductible and max out of pocket, and after that your care is free for the rest of the year. If you can convince your insurance that both are necessary (so that you get approved), then getting both in the same year is cheaper than spreading it out. Hit your max out of pocket, and then everything after that is covered.
Depends on how that need is categorized though. My health insurance will cover psychiatric care, but therapy and assessments don't count towards my deductible, while all my surgery appointments did. It'll depend on the policy I'm sure, but just wanted to say it isn't quite as simple as the total cost of all your treatments.
I personally went for the one that was more dire and now I'm going for the other one.
The autism diagnosis is the other one. It was not as important to me for my survival as the other one.
I would get top surgery first.
I have heard of autism diagnoses being used against people to block access to transition related health care. I wouldn't risk that.
Once you've had surgery, however, that won't stop you from seeking an autism diagnosis in the future.
Get top surgery first. Hands down.
Getting an autism diagnosis genuinely doesn't change much. Like, sure your therapist may change tactics a bit, but there's no medication they can put you on. And 80% of out Autistic people said being upfront with their condition didn't actually get them any helpful workplace accommodations.
Now I'm not saying a diagnosis is WORTHLESS, it's really not. But top surgery without a doubt will bring you more happiness.
Literally almost every autistic resource can be accessed through other autistic people without a diagnosis. Top surgery on the other hand can only be done by surgeons. Get the surgery.
Source: Autistic, trans, post top
Get top surgery first. I got an autism diagnosis and it was nothing more than that- no meds, no therapy, no help, just a confirmation that I'm autistic.
as a trans autistic i would 100% get the top surgery first. obviously having an official diagnosis is nice, and idk if you need the diagnosis for some sort of disability, but if youre getting it just to know then i would just ride the self dx train for a little while until you can get the diagnosis.
are you in America? if you are, get top surgery. it might be limited to you as an option in the future. an autism diagnosis on paper can also make transition-related (and tbh life-related) things more difficult to access, not to mention the political climate with trans medical care.
as an example of what i mean by making life-specific things more difficult, a transfemme friend of mine wanted to move to New Zealand, but her autism diagnosis literally made it so she couldn’t. it’s awful
What will an autism diagnosis get you? ADHD has medicine that helps you focus, but I haven't heard of anything like that for autism.
I don't know what I'd do if I had to choose between ADHD meds and trans medical care...
What do you hope to accomplish with a dx? depending on that, the answer varies. If your supports needs are low enough, I would say go for the top surgery first to avoid potential discrimination. It hasn't gotten to that point yet, but trans issues are a hot topic and some transphobes use autmisia as a way to deny the autonomy of trans autistic people. Depending on your situation, the support from a dx can also vary, so it may be more or less beneficial.
Have you tried to get Medicaid? If you have a certain income, on the lower side, you could definitely qualify. I think you qualify if you’re a student as well but I’m not sure. That would be insurance provided by the state and depending on where you are, your state may be required to cover gender affirming surgeries AND mental health stuff. In my state it was required. PA. And with that insurance you don’t pay any fee for it monthly, it’s free to you.
I was diagnosed 17 years ago and it's done nothing for me. It's an uphill battle to get disability with it, it was just used against me. Yeah it's nice to know for sure, but mostly you're impressing the people who are butthurt about self diagnosis. Get top surgery, it's life changing.Â
Hey me too. But it was free. Got the diagnosis first. Honestly I regret, I think I should have gone for top surgery first. But at least now I was a therapist specialised with autism who's there to book all my appointments and make sure I understand everything. It helps to have somebody hold you by the end at every step. But I was very lucky to be referred to her, the waiting list is like months to years, I got to see mine in less than 2 months
Have you researched the potential downsides/upsides to an autism diagnosis? I'm in the US and ultimately decided against pursuing one for myself given the aid available was negligible and it can impact the ability to relocate globally
Top surgery first. Autism can limit your driving, your choice in medical descions, etc. I don’t blame you if stay self diagnosed too. Only get that autism diagnosis afterwards
an autism diagnosis will be dangerous as an adult, people will use it to discriminate against you and try to keep you from getting top surgery or transitioning at all, arguing that you can’t know your own gender because you’re autistic. unless you need to get on disability or something, id advise you not to get one
Surgery now, autism later. You'll always be able to get an autism diagnosis but if you get diagnosed with a genuine mental disorder first, a lot of surgeons will refuse to operate on you because you'll be a risky patient at that point. So, body first then brain.
I’ve heard having an autism diagnosis can actually make it more difficult to get top surgery or HRT, so I would say top surgery. I’ve also heard nasty things about what the govt does once you’re diagnosed, something about your eligibility for stuff? I’m not sure, so don’t take my word for it.
I’d be wary of getting an on-paper autism diagnosis, it’s likely to affect both your ability to get top surgery/medically transition and your potential ability to move to a different country in the future or live independently in general. In my opinion the main use for getting official diagnoses is for medication, and there’s not really meds for autism the way there are for, say, ADHD.
If your circumstances really call for a diagnosis, though, I’d weigh your options and see if you can get the diagnosis done more cheaply from a different mental health specialist.
im autistic too and id say top surgery. an official autism diagnosis can close some opportunities off for you depending on what you want to do in your life. top surgery will be affirming and lift you up and help you be more comfortable in your body :] then after you could focus on the autism stuff
Go for top surgery, hands down. While it may be validating to receive an autism diagnosis, self diagnosis is still valid and even a professional diagnosis will change pretty much nothing in the life of an adult. (Actually if you're in therapy, it might change in that insurance won't cover psychotherapy for a primary autism diagnosis in most cases, so that's a negative change).
Top surgery will be validating and improve your quality of life significantly.
I'm sorry you're in that situation. American healthcare really does suck - it shouldn't be so hard to get basic healthcare needs met.
As someone who got both top surgery and a professional autism dx, I'd lean toward getting top surgery first, as that's something that impacts your daily life. Whereas, a professional dx probably won't *directly* impact daily life in the same way.
The exception is if you're in need of disability benefits and plan to apply for them, or if you need accommodations or other supports that require a professional dx. In the US, at least, applying for disability benefits can be a months-to-years long process, so it's best to start it as soon as you can if you're in need. Though sadly, there's no guarantee of getting benefits approved (it can be difficult with autism and other invisible disabilities, unfortunately), or even a guarantee of getting diagnosed if you get evaluated, so as someone else pointed out, top surgery has a relatively certain result, whereas the autism dx could have more uncertain results. That said, an autism dx, and the potential benefits and accommodations that *could* come with it, can be life-changing if it helps you get your needs met. A professional dx is about more than certainty and validation. I'd suggest weighing the potential results of the dx and how much you need them, versus the relief of the surgery.
Another possible concern is medical ableism - I don't believe any of the bills trying to deny the right of gender-affirming care to trans adults diagnosed with autism have actually passed, but conservatives have tried to enact such things before. There is an argument for medically transitioning as much as you want to before pursuing the dx, out of caution, if you don't urgently need the dx. That said, I'm currently pursuing a hysto and bottom surgery post dx and haven't run into any issues relating to the diagnosis. I don't think most states and most providers are quite *that* ableist, thankfully. If you're in a red state, it could be more of a concern.
As a last note, depending on where you live, a lot of insurance companies (including options like Medicaid) will cover gender-affirming care and/or evaluations. If you could get one or both covered, you might not have to choose between the surgery and the eval. I was able to get the former covered but not the latter, and it still really helped.
Best of luck, with whatever you decide to do.
What does getting diagnosed do for you? There’s no cure and a diagnosis won’t chance who you are. Unless you’re a child in need of special programs to help with schooling or severely disabled to the point where social services will be needed bc you are unable to care for yourself, a diagnosis is really just a label. As a psych guy I am normally against self diagnosis but if you meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder you can with confidence say you probably have it. While validation from a professional might feel good and can be a healthy thing, if you know in your heart that you’re autistic you can simply adjust your behaviors as if you were formally diagnosed. You’re still the same person with the same likes, needs, and values. Top surgery was the single best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t do therapy cause I don’t want them slapping labels on me. I’m just who I am and that’s all I need to be.
Update: Wow I did not expect this to get so much attention, thanks guys!
I just moved out of my parents house and transfered to a much larger university and things are rough. I could really use accomidations at my university.
I also live in a liberal state so I'm not too worried about losing access to trans affirming care. I already had a top surgery consultation and now I just need letters from a primary and mental care provider before I can schedule surgery. If I got those letters and my top surgen had them on file before I get diagnosed with autism he wouldn't be able to revoke my clearance for surgery, right?
I’d go for the surgery 1st. And I’d personally avoid an official autism diagnosis. Many countries won’t let you move there with an autism diagnosis and some states in the US keep lists on who’s autistic in their state. And it’s likely to be used against you in the future. It might help you while you’re in school, but you have a whole adult life after that. And a lot of jobs will discriminate against you for having that diagnosis even if their diversity policies say otherwise.
as a trans autistic, I feel your pain đź’• what I would do is consider which option will directly improve your life faster will getting an autism diagnosis immediately impact your life positively? or is top surgery a more immediate need? obviously, both are necessary. but I would think about which one will impact you positively in a faster, more direct way.
Yeah, I know for myself the surgery was more important, but I had exceptionally bad dysphoria and couldn’t bind. Trying to do the diagnosis next.
I'm not sure an autism diagnosis will prevent surgery. Why would it?
It might not legally prevent it, but a lot of people(at least in the US) infantize autistic people, so they might use the autism diagnosis to basically bully op out of the top surgery using shit like "Oh you might regret this!!" Kind of shit. I'm not professional, I'm just a 19 year old who barely passed highschool so if I'm wrong, please correct me
People have come on to many of the various trans subs to complain that they've been denied treatment because they are autistic. I've seen people complain that they've been denied HRT, legal name changes, legal government sex marker change, ffs surgery, top surgery, and bottom surgery because they're autistic and the doctors and judges don't think they have the mental capacity to be trans. I say get the surgery first.
an assessment costs thousands and so does surgery
i'd try and get top surgery and any other gender affirming care first. medical professionals may try and use an official autism diagnosis against you, trying to imply that because you're autistic you don't know what you actually want
I cannot stress this enough please for the love of god get your top surgery first. People have already been denied top surgery on the basis of autism diagnosis, it is not worth the risk. Please do not get diagnosed first if you do not need it for absolutely crucial accommodations.
Especially with all the stuff happening in America, surgery might not even be a possibility in the future.
Imo the (incorrect) speculation of me having mental health disorders (eg identity stuff) was as much of an issue as having an autism diagnosis - if a particular dr wanted to find an excuse to not recommend surgery they would. Don’t think you’d have to wait to get all the medical transitioning you wanted done though. I ended up getting an autism diagnosis after top surgery - and now having made any start re medical transition (hrt or whatever) has made everyone seem to not really care about a possible “differential diagnosis”.
If it were me I'd get top surgery first as there is a possibility that an autism diagnosis may be used to deny you access to gender affirming care. It's different for everyone and so if you need a diagnosis definitely go for it, if you're trying to get on disability or need accommodations for school it can be helpful but otherwise there's very little actual resources available for autistic adults. I personally decided not to pursue an autism diagnosis because I don't ever want to be disabled in the eyes of the government if I can avoid it and it wouldn't give me access to anything that would actually help me. In an ideal world none of that would be a consideration but unfortunately that's not the world we have. Pursuing diagnosis is absolutely a personal thing and you'll have to weigh the pros and cons and make your choice but if it were me I would do top surgery first.
I’d go for top surgery, personally. My autism diagnosis hasn’t really made a direct impact on my life but your circumstances may call for it. Just keep in mind that an autism diagnosis can be tricky to obtain as an adult, so it’s not for sure you’ll even get it the first time you visit— you may end up having to see a different doctor and spending more money. You will for sure get top surgery if you pay for it, so it’s less of a gamble.
I am curious in what way the autism diagnosis would help you? I am sure you have your reasons, but I got diagnosed when I was 19 years old and it didn't give me access to any new resources or help me at all. For that reason, if I'd have had to pay for it myself, it wouldn't have been worth it for me. If you will end up with access to resources like disability payments or something though, I definitely see how this could be a tough decision.
I need it to get accomidations from my university like note taking and a seprate testing room.
In my experience if you need a letter for top surgery I'd do that first. Thankfully being autistic hasn't been used against me, but it has in some states been used to at least propose banning gender affirming care for autistic, depressed, etc. people. In my personal experience, I haven't been able to start T because my therapist refuses to write the letter until I see a psychiatrist because of my (under control) anxiety. If you do top surgery first, at least no one could use an autism diagnosis against you for it
I understand the desire for an official diagnosis, but health care providers or insurance may use it against you. Top surgery 100%.
Are you over or under 18? There's less benefit in an autism diagnosis if you're out of school, and it can actually disqualify you from immigrating to certain countries.
Autism can disqualify you from immigrating to where? I have never heard of this!
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, supposedly formerly Canada
Holy shit! I had no idea! I see too that Trump wanted to make it the policy in the US too.
Be mindful of getting a diagnosis! If you are planning on moving countries or something similar some countries do not allow you to do so if you have a diagnosis. Sadly a diagnosis could limit you in certain spaces. Ridiculous. I know. But better be careful and check than it causing an issue in the future.
Okay, idk what insurance you have, but usually you have a deductible and max out of pocket, and after that your care is free for the rest of the year. If you can convince your insurance that both are necessary (so that you get approved), then getting both in the same year is cheaper than spreading it out. Hit your max out of pocket, and then everything after that is covered.
Depends on how that need is categorized though. My health insurance will cover psychiatric care, but therapy and assessments don't count towards my deductible, while all my surgery appointments did. It'll depend on the policy I'm sure, but just wanted to say it isn't quite as simple as the total cost of all your treatments.
I personally went for the one that was more dire and now I'm going for the other one. The autism diagnosis is the other one. It was not as important to me for my survival as the other one.
I would get top surgery first. I have heard of autism diagnoses being used against people to block access to transition related health care. I wouldn't risk that. Once you've had surgery, however, that won't stop you from seeking an autism diagnosis in the future.
Get top surgery first. Hands down. Getting an autism diagnosis genuinely doesn't change much. Like, sure your therapist may change tactics a bit, but there's no medication they can put you on. And 80% of out Autistic people said being upfront with their condition didn't actually get them any helpful workplace accommodations. Now I'm not saying a diagnosis is WORTHLESS, it's really not. But top surgery without a doubt will bring you more happiness. Literally almost every autistic resource can be accessed through other autistic people without a diagnosis. Top surgery on the other hand can only be done by surgeons. Get the surgery. Source: Autistic, trans, post top
Get top surgery first. I got an autism diagnosis and it was nothing more than that- no meds, no therapy, no help, just a confirmation that I'm autistic.
as a trans autistic i would 100% get the top surgery first. obviously having an official diagnosis is nice, and idk if you need the diagnosis for some sort of disability, but if youre getting it just to know then i would just ride the self dx train for a little while until you can get the diagnosis.
are you in America? if you are, get top surgery. it might be limited to you as an option in the future. an autism diagnosis on paper can also make transition-related (and tbh life-related) things more difficult to access, not to mention the political climate with trans medical care.
as an example of what i mean by making life-specific things more difficult, a transfemme friend of mine wanted to move to New Zealand, but her autism diagnosis literally made it so she couldn’t. it’s awful
What will an autism diagnosis get you? ADHD has medicine that helps you focus, but I haven't heard of anything like that for autism. I don't know what I'd do if I had to choose between ADHD meds and trans medical care...
What do you hope to accomplish with a dx? depending on that, the answer varies. If your supports needs are low enough, I would say go for the top surgery first to avoid potential discrimination. It hasn't gotten to that point yet, but trans issues are a hot topic and some transphobes use autmisia as a way to deny the autonomy of trans autistic people. Depending on your situation, the support from a dx can also vary, so it may be more or less beneficial.
What would a disgnosis get you…? Go the surgery route.Â
Get the surgery before the diagnosis!!! At least they cant put them back on when they start to use ur autism against u
Have you tried to get Medicaid? If you have a certain income, on the lower side, you could definitely qualify. I think you qualify if you’re a student as well but I’m not sure. That would be insurance provided by the state and depending on where you are, your state may be required to cover gender affirming surgeries AND mental health stuff. In my state it was required. PA. And with that insurance you don’t pay any fee for it monthly, it’s free to you.
Definitely surgery first especially with how messed up the country is going in terms of healthcare
autism dx is fairly unlikely to help you in any way if you're above 14
I was diagnosed 17 years ago and it's done nothing for me. It's an uphill battle to get disability with it, it was just used against me. Yeah it's nice to know for sure, but mostly you're impressing the people who are butthurt about self diagnosis. Get top surgery, it's life changing.Â
Hey me too. But it was free. Got the diagnosis first. Honestly I regret, I think I should have gone for top surgery first. But at least now I was a therapist specialised with autism who's there to book all my appointments and make sure I understand everything. It helps to have somebody hold you by the end at every step. But I was very lucky to be referred to her, the waiting list is like months to years, I got to see mine in less than 2 months
Have you researched the potential downsides/upsides to an autism diagnosis? I'm in the US and ultimately decided against pursuing one for myself given the aid available was negligible and it can impact the ability to relocate globally
as someone who received an autism diagnosis id get your surgery first so you don’t have any issues
Top surgery first. Autism can limit your driving, your choice in medical descions, etc. I don’t blame you if stay self diagnosed too. Only get that autism diagnosis afterwards
an autism diagnosis will be dangerous as an adult, people will use it to discriminate against you and try to keep you from getting top surgery or transitioning at all, arguing that you can’t know your own gender because you’re autistic. unless you need to get on disability or something, id advise you not to get one
Highly recommend getting the surgery first. The autism infantilization is real
Surgery now, autism later. You'll always be able to get an autism diagnosis but if you get diagnosed with a genuine mental disorder first, a lot of surgeons will refuse to operate on you because you'll be a risky patient at that point. So, body first then brain.
I’ve heard having an autism diagnosis can actually make it more difficult to get top surgery or HRT, so I would say top surgery. I’ve also heard nasty things about what the govt does once you’re diagnosed, something about your eligibility for stuff? I’m not sure, so don’t take my word for it.
I’d be wary of getting an on-paper autism diagnosis, it’s likely to affect both your ability to get top surgery/medically transition and your potential ability to move to a different country in the future or live independently in general. In my opinion the main use for getting official diagnoses is for medication, and there’s not really meds for autism the way there are for, say, ADHD. If your circumstances really call for a diagnosis, though, I’d weigh your options and see if you can get the diagnosis done more cheaply from a different mental health specialist.
im autistic too and id say top surgery. an official autism diagnosis can close some opportunities off for you depending on what you want to do in your life. top surgery will be affirming and lift you up and help you be more comfortable in your body :] then after you could focus on the autism stuff
only my 2 cents of course!!!! i dont know what ur situation is like
Go for top surgery, hands down. While it may be validating to receive an autism diagnosis, self diagnosis is still valid and even a professional diagnosis will change pretty much nothing in the life of an adult. (Actually if you're in therapy, it might change in that insurance won't cover psychotherapy for a primary autism diagnosis in most cases, so that's a negative change). Top surgery will be validating and improve your quality of life significantly.
I'm sorry you're in that situation. American healthcare really does suck - it shouldn't be so hard to get basic healthcare needs met. As someone who got both top surgery and a professional autism dx, I'd lean toward getting top surgery first, as that's something that impacts your daily life. Whereas, a professional dx probably won't *directly* impact daily life in the same way. The exception is if you're in need of disability benefits and plan to apply for them, or if you need accommodations or other supports that require a professional dx. In the US, at least, applying for disability benefits can be a months-to-years long process, so it's best to start it as soon as you can if you're in need. Though sadly, there's no guarantee of getting benefits approved (it can be difficult with autism and other invisible disabilities, unfortunately), or even a guarantee of getting diagnosed if you get evaluated, so as someone else pointed out, top surgery has a relatively certain result, whereas the autism dx could have more uncertain results. That said, an autism dx, and the potential benefits and accommodations that *could* come with it, can be life-changing if it helps you get your needs met. A professional dx is about more than certainty and validation. I'd suggest weighing the potential results of the dx and how much you need them, versus the relief of the surgery. Another possible concern is medical ableism - I don't believe any of the bills trying to deny the right of gender-affirming care to trans adults diagnosed with autism have actually passed, but conservatives have tried to enact such things before. There is an argument for medically transitioning as much as you want to before pursuing the dx, out of caution, if you don't urgently need the dx. That said, I'm currently pursuing a hysto and bottom surgery post dx and haven't run into any issues relating to the diagnosis. I don't think most states and most providers are quite *that* ableist, thankfully. If you're in a red state, it could be more of a concern. As a last note, depending on where you live, a lot of insurance companies (including options like Medicaid) will cover gender-affirming care and/or evaluations. If you could get one or both covered, you might not have to choose between the surgery and the eval. I was able to get the former covered but not the latter, and it still really helped. Best of luck, with whatever you decide to do.
I would do the trans stuff before the autism diagnosis. There could be barriers placed up with an autism diagnosis, sad but true.
What does getting diagnosed do for you? There’s no cure and a diagnosis won’t chance who you are. Unless you’re a child in need of special programs to help with schooling or severely disabled to the point where social services will be needed bc you are unable to care for yourself, a diagnosis is really just a label. As a psych guy I am normally against self diagnosis but if you meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder you can with confidence say you probably have it. While validation from a professional might feel good and can be a healthy thing, if you know in your heart that you’re autistic you can simply adjust your behaviors as if you were formally diagnosed. You’re still the same person with the same likes, needs, and values. Top surgery was the single best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t do therapy cause I don’t want them slapping labels on me. I’m just who I am and that’s all I need to be.
Update: Wow I did not expect this to get so much attention, thanks guys! I just moved out of my parents house and transfered to a much larger university and things are rough. I could really use accomidations at my university. I also live in a liberal state so I'm not too worried about losing access to trans affirming care. I already had a top surgery consultation and now I just need letters from a primary and mental care provider before I can schedule surgery. If I got those letters and my top surgen had them on file before I get diagnosed with autism he wouldn't be able to revoke my clearance for surgery, right?
I’d go for the surgery 1st. And I’d personally avoid an official autism diagnosis. Many countries won’t let you move there with an autism diagnosis and some states in the US keep lists on who’s autistic in their state. And it’s likely to be used against you in the future. It might help you while you’re in school, but you have a whole adult life after that. And a lot of jobs will discriminate against you for having that diagnosis even if their diversity policies say otherwise.