Can Master's level therapists diagnose you?

While it's true a licensed T can diagnose a client with Autism and Aspergers
Most schools and state/government agencies require a full neuropsych evaluation to accept the diagnosis, and these can only be done by a phd, PsyD or MD. A counselor or social worker with expertise in autism/Aspergers can certainly treat once a full diagnosis is made, but in these cases the testing is very important.

With schizophrenia it may be the same. I'm pretty sure that only a doctorate level clinician can conduct any in depth psychological testing to diagnosis a thought disorder. As someone who will be a Masters level T, I would not feel comfortable actually giving a diagnosis of schizophrenia without seeing testing results and consulting with a doctor.

Actually I was refereed to a different T after the first T thought I had Asperger's because the second T has dealt with several cases of it herself and it's a point of expertise.

I personally would go with a pdoc's opinion first as they are a medical dr., but schizoaffective disorder is complicated. Perhaps get a second opinion from another pdoc? I would not trust a master's level clinician alone (or a psy.d/ph.d, for that matter) to diagnosis me with that.

Schizoaffective disorder Tests and diagnosis - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic

Have you had bloodwork done (as the link mentions) to rule out anything else? (My pdoc sent me to my general dr. for that before diagnosing me with MDD.) And isn't there a test for Asperger's?

Be aware that DSM-5 has eliminated Asperger's as a diagnosis. Asperger's has been folded into autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum diagnoses: The DSM-5 eliminates Asperger?s and PDD-NOS.

Also, in DSM-5, those with a "well established DSM-IV diagnosis" of Asperger's are "grandparented" into autism spectrum disorder.

The new classification is actually better in my opinion. I have a child with Aspergers and I think it eliminates some of the confusion that surrounded the diagnosis previously. Children and teens need neuropsychological testing done for a definitive diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. For an adult it's probably not as important to be tested unless you are in need I disabity or other government services. Quite honestly the testing for ASD is done for more beurocratic reasons than anything else (as it also likely is for ADHD). But if the diagnosis is for your own information and for developing a treatment plan then a dx by a therapist with expertise in this area (experience is very important here) is fine and can be very helpful.

A pdoc who actually specializes in autism related disorders would only be needed if meds were needed. They don't usually do the neuropsych testing. That is dot the PhDs (usually fellows). It is a 6-8 hour long battery of testing that really may not be necessary if, like I said before, you don't need government services. For treatment related to the symptoms like social skills, rigid thinking, etc., the pdoc will refer you to a therapist.

I don't think it's unusual to get different diagnoses from different people. Also those different diagnoses are often not mutually exclusive, so if someone tells you that you have bipolar disorder that doesn't mean that you can't also be on the autism spectrum or have panic disorder at the same time.

My psychiatrist and therapist ,who is a psychologist, have different diagnoses for me. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

In considering ANY T's diagnosis (masters level or otherwise) I would also look at what they specialize in and how much experience they have.

I would look to this, too, but with a different intent. Realize that the more a professional specializes in any one disorder, statistically, the more likely they will be to favor that diagnosis. Sometimes a well- experienced generalist can be less biased.

Yes they can diagnose, but don't label yourself accordingly. Let them try and treat you according to the diagnosis. If it doesn't work, they can revise their opinion. But it doesn't define who you are. You can just say you have some issues.

True but in the OP's case the diagnosis in question is Aspergers. This is such a widely misunderstood condition that misdiagnosis because of bias is unlikely. Statistically you're more likely to misdiagnosed with anything from bipolar to schizoaffective to borderline PD by less specialized clinicians than to be misdiagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by a very experienced one. So this is a case where a specialization is key. Most regular Ts know very little beyond the basics on anything related to autism - the same info you can find in articles online- and that isn't enough to attempt a diagnosis.

I guess this is why I'm confused: it isn't the specialist T that has diagnosed the Aspergers. And it appears that no testing has been done. So now the OP is seeing a specialist T for treatment, yet there appears to be some level of doubt if the Aspergers diagnosis is correct. If the condition is so widely misunderstood, and testing can take away any ambiguity, it seems it would make sense to get tested before starting treatment. Perhaps the results of testing would get the pdoc and caseworker on board with the diagnosis.

That's the good thing about seeing the specialist. They usually know pretty quickly due to traits that are unique to Aperger's. There are symptoms that exist in many other conditions, but a few that make it more of a sure thing. I had to take my daughter to a specialist right away at the age of 7 because she was exhibiting shizophrenic-like behaviors (delusions, possible hallucinations). The regular pdoc was freaked out. The autism specialist therapist and pdoc were not at all and both immediately dismissed any thought disorder and attributed her behavior to the autism. Then she was tested. It's possible for the testing to be done on an adult, but it may not be as accurate due to any learning or life experience and it may not be covered by insurance. Perhaps that's the hesitation. The testing costs about $2000 and up so it's a big decision.

So, OP, if you don't mind my asking, when were you given your first diagnosis, as a child or an adult? Asperger's is quite different from bipolar and any schizophrenic type disorder, but in children they apparently can look very similar. But, this is the instance where an autism expert would save such a child from misdiagnosis.