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Being diagnosed as a female

Mytwenty

Hi

I'm going through the diagnosis process. My actual assessment will be this upcoming August. However, this has not stopped me worrying already that particularly as a female who masks, my autism (I feel confident enough to call it that, though not yet diagnosed) will not be picked up by the assessors. I know they're professionals it's their job to know the ins and outs of autism, but I've seen a couple of horror stories on YouTube. I scored high enough on the AQ50 to be picked up by the services. 

Is this an issue that other females have found, or should I not be worrying at all?

Parents

  • I didn't really feel like I had any problems when I was assessed (and got a diagnosis). But I'm not an amazing masker (not 'obviously autistic' either-I come across as shy, maybe 'quirky' to most people) and I made an effort to not mask during my assessment and not think too much. That made things rather uncomfortably confusing (I think I realised how much mental work I was usually putting into figuring out the 'right' responses and in trying to understand people) but helped a lot I think. I also gave them plenty of extra information in a big document I'd compiled where I particularly mentioned how much I felt like I had to pretend to be normal around other people. But overall I felt like the process was very thorough and good at picking up on more subtle things. 

    I think it's going to depend on who assesses you though as to what sort of experience you have personally.

Reply

  • I didn't really feel like I had any problems when I was assessed (and got a diagnosis). But I'm not an amazing masker (not 'obviously autistic' either-I come across as shy, maybe 'quirky' to most people) and I made an effort to not mask during my assessment and not think too much. That made things rather uncomfortably confusing (I think I realised how much mental work I was usually putting into figuring out the 'right' responses and in trying to understand people) but helped a lot I think. I also gave them plenty of extra information in a big document I'd compiled where I particularly mentioned how much I felt like I had to pretend to be normal around other people. But overall I felt like the process was very thorough and good at picking up on more subtle things. 

    I think it's going to depend on who assesses you though as to what sort of experience you have personally.

Children
  • in reply to Boating_taxonomist

    Thank you! I reckon I come across similarly, as shy, quiet, weird, but my social skills aren't that convincing. 

    I'll be sure not to mask during my assessment and I'll try not to think too much - even though it could be one of the greatest days of my life! 

    I'm also compiling some school reports from when I was in nursery and primary school, plus a list of reasons why I think I have autism

    That's good to hear the process is very thorough. That's precisely what I'm worried about - just who will assess me. I'll ask at an autism course in my area that I've got coming up how the autism assessment service is here..