This is the practical one. People ask me "OK, but how do I actually get assessed here?" and the honest answer is that nobody has put it on one page. So here's my attempt, from someone who lives in La Petite-Nation and knows how far the nearest anything is.
Short version. In Québec you can go public or private. Public means starting at your CLSC or with your family doctor. It's free and it's slow. Private means calling a psychologist or neuropsychologist who assesses adults for autism. It's faster and you pay, though group insurance often covers part of it.
Now the longer version, with the stuff I wish I'd known.
The public route: start at the CLSC
The most detailed guide I've found is a mini-guide on adult diagnosis hosted by the Fédération québécoise de l'autisme. It was written by Marie Josée Cordeau and dates from 2015, so treat the numbers as old. The steps still line up with how the public system works.
Here's the path it describes:
- Go to the accueil psychosocial (psychosocial intake) at your local CLSC. They open your file and send the request for an assessment.
- Ask how long the wait is and what the next step will be. Get the name and contact of the person who takes your request. Ask for a card.
- After the wait, you'll likely see a psychologist in the public system for a pre-assessment, with tests and interviews.
- Then a psychiatrist, who reviews your file, interviews you, and gives the diagnosis.
One line from that guide is worth knowing by heart. The CLSC's psychosocial intake can't refuse to open your file, and can't tell you they lack the autism expertise. First-line diagnosis was officially handed to CLSCs. If someone at the desk tries to brush you off, you can say that, politely.
If you don't know where your CLSC is, or you just want to talk to someone first, call 811 and choose Info-Social. Québec's own page on getting mental health care lays out that route (811, your GMF or doctor, a CLSC) and says plainly that public mental health services are free.
The catch: the wait
The 2015 guide said public waits often hit or passed 18 to 24 months. I don't have a verified 2026 number for adults, and it varies by region. Ask your CLSC directly. Don't assume it got shorter.
The guide also says something blunter. In the public system you don't pick your assessor, and some are better trained in adult autism than others. Some older-school clinicians still rule people out for making eye contact, speaking well, or arriving with a clear idea of themselves. That's not how autism works in adults who've spent decades masking.
The private route: a psychologist or neuropsychologist
Private assessment is usually done by a psychologist or neuropsychologist who works with autistic adults. Most don't need a doctor's referral. Call and ask.
What it costs: the 2015 guide put a full assessment by a psychologist at $800 to $1,200, tests and written report included. Prices have gone up since, and I don't have a verified current range, so get a written quote. Ask what's included, and whether the report is extra. For comparison, the Ordre des psychologues du Québec says a regular 50-minute therapy session in private practice usually runs $120 to $180. An assessment is many hours of work on top of that.
Most group insurance plans reimburse at least part of a psychologist's fees. Check your plan before you book.
Waits are usually much shorter than public. The guide said one to three months back then. Ask.
There's also a middle path the guide mentions. A psychiatrist in private practice, with a referral from your doctor, where part of the cost is covered by RAMQ. It's less common, but worth asking about.
Check the person's licence. Anyone calling themselves a psychologist in Québec has to be a member of the Ordre. You can verify that on the OPQ site. A "coach" or "consultant" can't give you a diagnosis.
What actually happens in the assessment
Whichever route you take, expect:
- Questionnaires about yourself, sometimes sent home before your appointment.
- A questionnaire for someone close to you, if possible.
- Interviews about your childhood and your life now.
- Autism-specific tests. The FQA guide names the ADOS, the AQ (autism quotient) and Baron-Cohen's eyes test as common ones.
- A written report at the end. Ask when you'll get it.
If the assessor runs no autism-specific tests and still tells you you're not autistic, the guide says you can push back. "Vous avez des droits," it says, you have rights. A second opinion is reasonable.
What I'd bring
The single best thing you can do is write your life down before you go in. The guide suggests it too. Examples from as far back as you can remember that match what you've read about autism. School stuff, social stuff, the sensory things, the routines, the meltdowns or shutdowns. Bullet points are fine.
Bring it. Bring any old report cards you can dig up. Bring a list of the other diagnoses or treatment you've had. And if you have someone who knew you as a kid, ask early if they'd be willing to fill out a form.
Appointments like this, my head tends to go empty the second I sit down. The list saves me. I suspect it'll save you too.
While you wait
You could be waiting a long time. Use it.
Read. The FQA's "Je suis autiste" section is in French and links to regional associations, some of which run groups for adults. If you're struggling right now (depression, anxiety, a crisis), don't wait for the autism assessment to get help with that. Call 811, see your doctor, or go through the CLSC for mental health support at the same time.
I wrote about whether a late diagnosis is worth it and how I figured it out if you're still deciding. And if you want help in the meantime from someone who gets autism, there's finding an autism-aware therapist in Québec.