Hello everyone! I figured that since I was obsessively back-reading the forums I may as well actually join and start posting.
I'm at the stage in pursuing formal diagnosis after my GP referral but before I am officially accepted onto the waiting list. My GP indicated she'd be following the diagnostic pathway I understood was usual to my borough, which is screening through community mental health service before referral to the local adult autism service. So I was very surprised today when I got an envelope directly from the local adult autism service, plump with questionnaires for me to fill in: the AQ 50, the EQ, and the Relatives Questionnaire (CAST).
The problem, as you may have anticipated from the subject of this thread, is that my parents are estranged. I really do not have anyone who can fill in the relatives questionnaire. The letter says that the completed questionnaires must be sent back within 2 weeks of receipt, or my referral will not be processed further and I won't be placed on the waiting list.
After an evening of discussing this with formally diagnosed friends, plus my worries going round and round my head like a washing machine, my plan is to call the local autism service when they are open later this week so I can explain that I can't return the full complement of questionnaires, but that I do actually know most of the answers to the questions they're asking and can provide a lot of information about my childhood in lieu of family informants.
In my search for previous similar topics on these forums, I saw many posts explaining lack of family involvement at the assessment day itself did not necessarily prejudice the diagnostic process, particularly if you're able to offer your own comprehensive personal testimony, which is very helpful when considering that later stage. However, I haven't yet managed to find anything discussing this specific stage of screening. I'll continue searching myself of course, and I'd really welcome any links to similar threads you might kindly show me.
