Published on 12, July, 2020
I am waiting to hear a response from an ASD clinic on being put on a waiting list for an assessement.
My worry is that during the interview (and when claiming benifits), I will be perceived as 'too able' and misdiagnosed or rejected, due to my intellectual ability, and that my speech will sometimes appear normal when interested in a topic. I have learning difficulties when it comes to comprehension (making sense of information), but in terms of fluid intelligence (pattern recognition), I am able to use inductive reasoning to assess situations or problems and find ways to cope - I am the type of person your parents would ask on how a piece of technology works for instance, because I like to tinker.
I am debating how I should appear in the interview, even though it could be months ahead. I have heard people use the term 'masking' for when adapting their behaviour to model that of a neurotypic person. I am a very ethical and rational person, so it is playing on my mind.
I’m too able, too capable, too clever, too articulate. It takes a huge amount of me to do that. The vulnerable true me would be eaten by wolves. I’m also very good at masking, until I go *pop*…
Just be honest...
Don't try to say the 'right' things
Don't try to be 'polite'
DO be true to yourself
I'm the opposite with a big gap between verbal intelligence and non-verbal/pattern recognition/spatial intelligence. Unfortunately I was at school(1961-1975) when although there might be sporadic mentions…
My speech is quite normal most of the time. And I think I talked and behaved quite normally during my assessment. The clinicians should take a holistic view and one doesn't need to have every trait to meet the criteria for a diagnosis.
And, you could always get a second opinion if you didn't agree with the first one.
I'm the opposite with a big gap between verbal intelligence and non-verbal/pattern recognition/spatial intelligence. Unfortunately I was at school(1961-1975) when although there might be sporadic mentions of difficulties nothing was joined together into a coherent whole. Basically if you were of average or above intelligence having learning difficulties was very rarely considered..
I've heard of some autism assessments where cognition is tested, but that wasn't the case with me. My stepfamily has said I have little common sense , and I'm most definitely not good at practical tasks.
Seriously don’t worry about it... I went in to my assessment not knowing what to expect. I was completely honest. I am an exceptional masker and I have done it that long I really struggle to keep my mask off. It’s like I’m stuck between the 2 worlds.
Since being diagnosed I have been in many groups of people on the spectrum and people always think I am NT staff or a family member of someone on the spectrum. I still got my diagnosis.
Me too - I have a twin to copy so I've been masking for as long as I've been alive. I'm really good at it - but as I've got older, I can't keep the performance up for as long. It's exhausting.
I am finding this also... I am much more tired (40 now) Also being pregnant has somehow weirdly affected my ability to mask.
I've masked very well for years - I worked my way up to being a chartered engineer and hid my condition well until I had a bullying manager that made things start to show when I couldn't cope with all the lies.
A brain injury a few years ago has made it more obvious and harder to mask.
I’m also beginning to think that as I get older, I have been thru more distress and this is making it harder... like I’m damaging myself keep putting myself out there for more trauma.
i have also had 2 bullying managers. One I took to grievance, won and settled out of court with the company
Yes - I think life dents us and, ;ole an old car, things start to fail. My mask was superb when I was younger but all the stress causes cracks. I also find the mask is rigid - so it loses the ability to adapt and keep up with what's required in social situations.
Well that was it for me with a brain injury. Knocked off my bike and ASD much worse, then a further near fatal fall a year later. Now sever brain injury problems - just from last year. Shame humiliation worried about ASD and suicide especially now that dementia seems to be happening.
Iwas a doctor doing well until my head injury, now career ended, £2m financial loss, all seems terrible.
I was also computer geek, but caught in a web trap and new cybercrime unit made out I didn't know it was a scam site- terrible - all over press and TV - all lies. The police and CPS can be cruel and twist things round to avoid the truth. They have no understanding of ASD