Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all
I am hoping to get a date soon for my assessment, but i understand that ill be asked to bring someone along who has known me for a long time. I plan to bring my older sister. My question is though, would she be with me all the time im being assessed? I would rather that not happen, i dont mind her being asked questions separately, but id much rather be interviewed on my own, just wondered what the standard is?
Thanks!
My Mum helped out with my assessment, but due to her age and her living so far away, they did that part by post and telephone. I wouldn't have wanted her to be there for the whole assessment, but mine was conducted over three sessions, so I don't think that would have happened anyway.
As for what the "standard" is - so far as I can tell, there isn't one. My assessment was 5-6 hours, split over three sessions, with both a psychologist and an occupational therapist involved, help from my Mum, and we spoke about several things which are only in the new DSM-V diagnostic guidelines (so formally my diagnosis is Autism Spectrum Condition Level 1, but informally I was told equivalent to Asperger's Syndrome). A friend in the same village was diagnosed at around the same time, but at a different clinic, and had only a single one-hour interview with a psychologist, no family involvement, and was diagnosed using the older ICD-10 guidelines (so formally, his diagnosis is Asperger's Syndrome) These were both NHS referrals made by GP's based at the same surgery!