A Survey of Autistic Adults from New Zealand on the Autism Diagnostic Process During Adolescence and Adulthood.

Evans et al. (2022) asked autistic adults in New Zealand about their autism diagnosis journey. They used an online survey to learn how people felt during assessment and after getting the news.

The team wanted to know which parts of the process worked and which parts felt broken.

Most adults were okay with the early steps, like first questions and testing. They were not happy with what happened next.

People said follow-up help was missing or messy. They wanted clearer next steps and better links to services.

Jones et al. (2014) ran a similar survey in the UK and got the same story: half of adults felt let down after diagnosis. The NZ data repeat the pattern, showing the problem is not just one country.

Day et al. (2021) asked NZ clinicians about the same pathways. Clinicians already admitted they skip post-diagnosis steps. The adult survey now proves those skipped steps hurt real people.

Lineberry et al. (2023) went one step further in the UK. After seeing the same gaps, they built 11 expert rules for what good follow-up should look like. The NZ results back up the need for those rules.

Huang et al. (2020) scoping review flags the whole adult field as patchy. Kiah et al. give the review a real-world voice from autistic adults themselves.

If you assess or support autistic teens or adults, this paper is a wake-up call. Satisfaction drops hardest after the diagnosis meeting. Build a one-page handout that lists local counseling, job help, and peer groups plus clear contact names. Schedule a follow-up call or email at two weeks and three months. Small check-ins close the gap that surveys across the UK, NZ, and beyond keep finding.