Countdown to diagnosis

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that.

I've been feeling really anxious a lot of the time. Partly about the assessment and partly work-related stuff. I'm more positive this evening. It's so good to see the clock ticking round.

My appointment isn't until 4pm this afternoon but I've got a lip reading class from 1pm-3pm which will help to distract me! ()

Just saw your avatar change to zero,,,wanted to wish you luck and all the best, 

your an amazing person . ()

Given the nature of ASD it is ironic that the assessment process involves so much waiting around and uncertainty. 

In between appointments things have gradually been falling into place in my mind. Maybe some of the waiting around has been quite productive. 

Do hope you hear back soon. You could always contact them and explain you need an approximate timescale in order to make arrangements. 

I emailed and also got my husband to phone on my behalf when I got stressed about not knowing when the next meeting would be. Got an email back with a time and date. 

I'm currently waiting on contact just to discuss an assessment. It's driving me mad not knowing when it will be and having to arrange for my husband to take time off work given he has a couple of busy projects he has to be around for. I'm glad you only have a couple of days left to wait. 

Thank you. I have got a few other appointments this week, which is probably good, as it may distract me from turning this over and over in my head. Friday evening will be the start of another phase of thinking, whatever that is! 

I hope you get the correct diagnosis on Friday, then the answers might come. Expect to have to ask yourself some questions either way! Good luck.

I think my assessment is good value for money (£1250) as it includes several components and 3 different assessors. I particularly like the idea of having a whole hour to discuss conclusions and recommendations. 

It is difficult asking questions about people's experience. I used my initial appointment (£150) to make sure I had confidence in the process and the people. I liked the fact they all work 'not for profit', 

I was also keen for my assessment to be seen as robust by the NHS and other institutions I might need services from in the future. 

It remains to be seen what the outcome is, but the process has been very thorough. They aren't just trying to diagnose me they are trying to understand me. 

I have decided to go for a private diagnosis when my GP encouraged it, given the 12 + month NHS waiting list. I have asked for any NHS referral to be put on hold. I have been quoted £1500 for a full morning or afternoon assessment. Still waiting to have an initial phone conversation just to ask questions and determine whether I really want to go ahead. Being a 52 year old woman I'm unsure whether the team I will be seeing have the necessary experience to diagnose. However, how to ask this without appearing rude :) . I also looked into Clinical Partners that are advertised on this site. I was quoted £800 ish for a two hour session / possible diagnosis but no-one has yet gotten back to let me know of a suitably experienced psychiatrist. 

Thank you. I will contact  NAS and see if they can give an indication.

Answers are probably the most important thing in terms of knowing what may help to improve my life and relationships. From a work point of view without some kind of diagnosis it's going to be hard to get any adjustments. I can't see myself surviving at work much longer unless things change somehow. 

Last night I asked my husband whether he thought some of the things that upset him were just me deliberately behaving badly. He said "we'll have to see what happens on Friday". I think a diagnosis of ASD might help him to understand I'm not just being selfish or lazy or deliberately rude.  

Sunflower said:

How lovely to be on good terms with your ex and for them to have been involved in your assessment and diagnosis. 

Yeah, we are very close. I didn't really have to ask, I told her that they had suggested that I bring someone close to me to the assessment, and she said "What about me? We were together 10 years", it made sense.

I had recurring mental health problems, and my GP just put me forward after an AQ test. I didn't ask about it, so it was quite unexpected. Even all the shrinks I saw over the past 25 years never suggested it. I'm pretty glad I went in blind.

Sunflower said:

I have no idea what the outcome of my assessment will be, whether or not I will get an ASD diagnosis, and if any specific recommendations will be made. I really do hope so!  I'm glad I've only got 5 days to wait now! 

I didn't really care about being diagnosed with ASD. I just wanted answers. My brain was killing me in a way. Do you hope to be diagnosed with ASD, or just get answers?

I've seen various prices quoted for a private adult ASD assessment ranging from £800 - £1750 - a lot depends on how many clinicians are involved and how long it takes. In most cases you can have an initial appointment at relatively low cost, to make sure ASD assessment is appropriate. It will be interesting to see what other people say about the cost.

Could you tell me the cost of a private diagnosis here?

How lovely to be on good terms with your ex and for them to have been involved in your assessment and diagnosis. 

It's interesting looking back at the events leading up to my assessment. Years ago when showing students the 'mind in the eyes' photos I could hardly recognise any expressions myself. Then an autistic service user said she was sure I was autistic.

When a former colleague said she'd been diagnosed with ASD I read articles about autistic women and found lots that applied to me. I did the AQ and EQ questionnaires too, which suggested I might be autistic.

I have no idea what the outcome of my assessment will be, whether or not I will get an ASD diagnosis, and if any specific recommendations will be made. I really do hope so!  I'm glad I've only got 5 days to wait now! 

I was desperate at the time to find out "what was up", so to say. I didn't have a clue about anything before I went into the process. I decided to go in "blind", as to be as honest as possible, and have no bias in my head. I'm not alluding to anyone doing this here, before anyone takes offence! I just thought it was best to have no way to not give a precise answer. Sometimes preconceptions can cloud situations.

I took my mom, and my ex of 10 years (and still one of my most loyal, honest and frank friends), the psychologist was very appreciative of it. I thought having other peoples views of me would be helpful.

It messed with me when I was diagnosed, but then as I learned more about Autism, certain things made more sense.

Your account is really interesting. Life problems that are really disruptive and significant quite often get played down by GPs operating primarily according to the medical model. My various crises have been quite existential in nature! 

If I get a diagnosis I will be interested to find out when in the process this became clear to the psychologist. Our first meeting was an exploratory session to determine if ASD assessment was appropriate. It was decided that it was, so I assume there were indications then that I met the criteria.

My research background means I always try and disprove a hypothesis. I keep considering alternative explanations for my autistic traits - there are some possible differential diagnoses. Whatever the outcome I'll probably blurt out "are you sure?"

Today I finally found the courage to talk to my two adult children about my assessment. Like my sister they are in no doubt that I am actually autistic. They're glad that I'm taking active steps to make sense of what has always made me seem different and strange. 

Some folk are a lot easier to diagnose than others., it is just that their autistic traits are easier for the psychologist to recognise in some people.

I had my diagnosis nearly two years ago, I went private because my GP was not really interested  (he said that since I had lived my life 'without problem' (although I had sought medical attention for associated problems such as severe anxiety and deptression over the past forty yearsI frequently misunderstood others, I had great problems in getting a job, and I had frequent minor accidents due to clumsiness and loss of balance, but of course they were not 'problems'! ) and he refused to refer me for an NHS assessment, saying that even if he did there would be a waiting list in excess of two years.

My psychologist told me about an hour into my assessment that he had rarely found someone so easy to diagnose as autistic, from my mannerisms to what I had said.  This didn't stop the session and it carried on for another two hours so he could get a full picture to write his report.

My feelings at the time were very mixed at the time.  At last I felt I knew why I was the way I was, and could get some help, rather than be criticised for my 'behaviour'.  But at the same time, I felt that the 'missed opportunities' of my life would have been addressed if I had known forty years previously.  To some extent this feeling recurs at frequent intervals.  But that far off land called the past no longer exists and the transport there only exists in the realms of fiction, so such feelings are not really helpful.

I got a short report outlining adjustments which work should make for me within three weeks of the diagnosis (and that included the Christmas period, and knowing at the assessment was really useful, it stopped three weeks of anxious hell waiting.  The full detailed report explaining why the conclusions had been reached took a little longer.

Apart from the fee the actual diagnosis was not very stressful.  I had to wait only six weeks and this was mainly due to me not being able to make a much earlier date.  My mother wasn't involved except from my recollection and the answers to some questions I had asked her, not saying that I wanted to know because I thought it might help me with an autism diagnosis.  My mother still does not know I have been diagnosed, when  I mentioned to her that I thought I was autistic she got confused with tourettes and said t;hat I wasn't!  But her recollections of my childhood certainly helped even though they were only offered through me.

That sounds a lot less stressful. As you say there's huge variation. When I referred myself geographical proximity was a key factor. I also wanted to be assessed somewhere where they were used to working with girls and women. It's tricky making decisions at the outset when you don't fully understand what is involved, and the implications. I'd be feeling a lot more confident about the outcome if I hadn't involved my parents. My memories of childhood are at odds with theirs. 

mine (private) was 1 single 4 hour session, verbal diagnosis of Aspergers at end.

prior to appt I had to fill in 3 or 4 questionnaires. No family were involved as I declined to give details. Full report sent about a month after appt.

Referral to appt was 1 month.

It is fascinating how the process differs so much around the country. Mine suited me the way it was done.

Thank you. Yes, it has been really tiring. Every day new memories pop up in my head. Some make me feel embarrassed. Some make me feel sad. Some make me feel scared. It's good though because I feel like I've opened a door to the past that has been blocked up for a long time. The life story I end up with is going to be different whether or not I get a diagnosis. For the first time in 58 years I am really beginning to understand myself. Do hope all goes well with your assessment in the New Year.