Advice Please - Autism Diagnosis

My gp refused to put me forward for an autism diagnosis, so I reluctantly went private.

In any case, it would have been a two year waiting list and due to the problems I was having at the time I could not wait.

However, there are one or two things you can do.  Have you done the AQ 50 test?  This is a self test which indicates whether further investigation may be beneficial. It is not a diagnosis tool but an indicator. Answer the questions honestly, although there wouldn't be much point in doing it if you were were not being honest with yourself.  

You could also contact a local autism charity for help if there is one near you that deals with adults.  They will not diagnose but they will be able to give you some useful information.  You can also do as much research as you can on how you are affected autism has an infinity of effects on people and how these are dealt with.  Your old school reports may help show and remind you of problems you had, from underperforming, to being quiet or talking too much, to being clumsy and careless, to keeping to schedules, to mixing with others or going your own way.  This combined with your mother's recollections may help.  Write everything down and send a copy with any diagnosis request, however long it might be.

I think a great problem in gaining a diagnosis through e NHS for an adult is the fact that there is some very mistaken belief that if you have attained adulthood or are into mature years you are not affected in everyday life and so you would not benefit from a diagnosis.  This ignores the fact someone may have been having treatment for years for anxiety and depression, may seek solace in alcohol or illegal substances, may have gone years without employment and cannot hold down a job, is thought of as 'strange' and is bullied, is clumsy and accident prone.  And it is not helped by the present governments autism strategy apparently being to cut funding for diagnosis in adults and a view of the general public that autism is a 'disease' of childhood and people can snap out of it by a good talking to.  

Good luck in your quest for a diagnosis.  I think you may have to be persistent as well as be prepared for a very long wait.

There isn't a 'general' hospital in Leeds, there's the Infirmary and there's St James... But in any case, in England NHS mental health services are almost always run by separate organisations to acute/general hospitals. It's Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust that the original poster needs to talk to.

It is odd that they didn't say why they were rejecting the referral. It could be that the information that the GP provided in the referral was incomplete. It's no excuse, but GPs are extremely busy and won't necessarily complete referral forms with the best quality information. Plus, if he wouldn't take all your info then he might have missed something that the assessment service wanted.

I've had a quick look at the service website and it looks like they actually accept self referrals which is very unusual. Take a look yourself, you may be able to get in touch with them directly - as search for Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service should get their site. It's definitely worth reading their criteria first so you can check that you're eligible and you can frame your history to fit what they want to see (this might be something that the GP failed to do).

Leeds General Hospital have a PALS (Patient And Liaison Service). I know it will be difficult but please go along and see them. 

Thanks for the response.

I live in Leeds.

I would imagine you have run up against unwritten NHS trust rules. Notice, you got a call. That probably indicates that your GP was not exactly enamoured with the idea of having to voice a rejection that he was not responsible for. But you might want to run that idea in front of a few people who live locally, who might give you a fuller picture. I suggest you try to join a local support group. As far as I am aware (as an expat), there is usually nothing to stop you self-identifying (even if you continue to think of it as only a possibility) and joining such a group. You might then get a better picture of what is going on in your area, constructively share some experiences and figure out a different approach.

I suppose you could also make an appointment with the GP and ask him directly; but it looks like he might be evasive, to avoid losing face.

Why did he stop you in full-flow? Perhaps he was a bit stretched that day. He probably understood well enough the behaviours you listed, but thought ultimately someone else would reject or accept. Maybe too, he has been through this process before.

Roughly what area are you in? Perhaps someone else on this forum will already know about current issues in that area.

Get a second opinion. Use the PALS service at your local hospital. They can help with getting a second opinion.  Good luck.