I have ADHD-PI; now I've been diagnosed with ASD but not sure I agree with it. What now?

Hello. 

A therapist referred me for NHS ASD assessment early last year and at the time I was surprised but thought it was worth exploring.

While I was waiting for the assessment to happen, I stumbled across inattentive ADHD and it made so much sense I made a decision to throw money at it and rush through a private ADHD assessment. Was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, and initially put on medication that seemed to take me from being a slightly eccentric chatterbox with terrible executive dysfunction to being unable to string two sentences together and with no energy to interact with anything or anyone. 

The ADOS happened while I was on said medication. 

I was taken off the medication and put on a different one. Everything, and I mean everything, got better. I will always have ADHD, it's not given me a different brain or anything, but I am functioning like an adult for the first time in my entire life, and my anxiety is all but gone as a result. And as well as the executive function improvements I expected, I am coping better with change, I am socialising better (I am *reading* people better, I assume because I'm actually taking in the information they're transmitting). Everything has improved. 

After the medication switch my ASD outcome appointment happened and I was diagnosed with ASD. I *just* met the ADOS threshold at 7 points (I am female, and was told this is fairly common). They said my communication difficulties were very slight, and that my verbal communication was 'unusually good', but that most of the points came from reciprocity. 

I am not convinced.

The medication I was on on the day of assessment seemed to hugely worsen my social skills, and after the switch they got better - much better. If this is the case, surely that means they weren't 'real' ASD traits and were a function of the ADHD? Nobody at the centre I was assessed at has expertise of ADHD, and so nobody has been able to tell me if the potential overlap of the two conditions has been taken into account (because it hasn't).

What now? My gut feeling is that this isn't right. Does it matter? Can I get a second opinion? 

I really don't know what to do and it seems like the opposite problem to what a lot of people end up with. Everyone on this forum seems very very sure and it's making me feel worse. 

Parents
  • Can I ask what medication made you worse?

    The benchmark formulations for adult ADHD are pretty effective (I have it myself), the only issue is their price and access to them.

    ADHD goes hand in hand with Asperger's in my mind (I have that too), so I would imagine it's pretty normal to have both.

    What is it you are concerned about?

    Good luck.

  • (I hope you don't mind me answering too, even though the question is directed to 808).

    I think adhd medication made me more autistic in the sense that without it I scan for details all the time and this enables me to react well to the slightest differences and details I perceive around me - also with people. 

    The medication stops me "scanning" (also the scanning of buildings, facades, pavements). As a result I feel more rigid in communication, missing stuff, as if I am wearing too tight a collar -hence more autistic. The medication is brilliant for buckling down to administrative tasks, clearing up, and getting things done in general though. I am sad I can no longer take it because of side effects. 

  • Hello, I'm 56, this topic resonates with me, a year ago I've picked aspie symptoms in me, tomorrow I have assessment for Asperger questioning, it's four months from my first visit to GP,  but last month I've discovered that adhd symptoms probably I have more, in past weeks hoovering videos and forums to educate myself, I can understand my job failings, broken relationships, anxiety, depression, meltdowns, burnouts and breakdowns, I don't know yet how to tell to my family all this stuff, actually in divorce stage, and I can see now just because of That. 

  • Yes actually I wondering because I have a feeling my latest additional list with adhd symptoms wasn't taken in to account, is any specific sequence, I'm worrying these additional files going to be lost and I have to start from beginning GP again , probably this just a picture of my worst case scenario series.

  • I am curious what it is you are disappointed about. Is it because you feel the issue is more complex and they haven't taken the ADHD into account?

  • Totally dissapointed, questions takes less then hour, about mood, family relationships, and page AQ10 questions, disappointed because last week I've dropped to receptionist additional information, about 8 my hand written pages with symptoms regarding adhd from my deeper memorie, also several  occasions I was experienced sexual harassment, about this I was trying to talk from Talking Therapies but no body bother back to my worries. This information wasn't mentioned, even when I told, the doctor said oh ok I'll look at that later. So on end I was told, yes I'm on autism and looks like having asperger and I'm going to be transferred to NAS. So what's next

  •  I meet several therapists already and I was redirected from talking therapies to ABT, I can see already process is very slow, with my latest education I have strange feeling like looking at the mirror first time after 20 years,

    thank you for support

  • Hi vincent'soul!

    Good luck tomorrow!

    They do occur together and ADHD and ASD might aso look a bit like each other at times.

    It is good to get an accurate diagnosis. I suppose you can tell them about your thoughts. I would hope that professional screening would be aware of all possibilities and keep an open mind without you having to tell them :-).

    It sounds like an exciting journey to understanding yourself better. 

    Curious how tomorrow goes!

Reply
  • Hi vincent'soul!

    Good luck tomorrow!

    They do occur together and ADHD and ASD might aso look a bit like each other at times.

    It is good to get an accurate diagnosis. I suppose you can tell them about your thoughts. I would hope that professional screening would be aware of all possibilities and keep an open mind without you having to tell them :-).

    It sounds like an exciting journey to understanding yourself better. 

    Curious how tomorrow goes!

Children
  • Yes actually I wondering because I have a feeling my latest additional list with adhd symptoms wasn't taken in to account, is any specific sequence, I'm worrying these additional files going to be lost and I have to start from beginning GP again , probably this just a picture of my worst case scenario series.

  • I am curious what it is you are disappointed about. Is it because you feel the issue is more complex and they haven't taken the ADHD into account?

  • Totally dissapointed, questions takes less then hour, about mood, family relationships, and page AQ10 questions, disappointed because last week I've dropped to receptionist additional information, about 8 my hand written pages with symptoms regarding adhd from my deeper memorie, also several  occasions I was experienced sexual harassment, about this I was trying to talk from Talking Therapies but no body bother back to my worries. This information wasn't mentioned, even when I told, the doctor said oh ok I'll look at that later. So on end I was told, yes I'm on autism and looks like having asperger and I'm going to be transferred to NAS. So what's next

  •  I meet several therapists already and I was redirected from talking therapies to ABT, I can see already process is very slow, with my latest education I have strange feeling like looking at the mirror first time after 20 years,

    thank you for support