Alexythemia - help needed

It's a hard one, I have aphantasia but I wasn't diagnosed as part of my autism. 

I was diagnosed as part of a clinical trial, it's a weird one but I have a pain disorder and was having imaging done where they hooked me up to electrodes and asked me to imagine a chair, a book, a red ball etc and I can't do it. 

I went to a Catholic school (west of Scotland, what can I say?) and there was a lot of weird guided meditation "picture yourself walking along a beach, the sand is warm beneath your feet, there's a breeze coming off the sea, you can smell the Ocean. Jesus is with you taking away your worries" and I'd just laugh and laugh at the absurdity of the thing, I didn't realise that everyone else in the room could actually do it, I thought it was an Emperors New Clothes scenario where they were all pretending they could be on this beach in their heads.

Anyway, the neurologist sent me to a neuropsychologist who did some tests and my brain doesn't react the same to these things as everyone else. I know what a chair is, obviously, but unless one is right there then I can't picture it. Well I can picture a rudimentary chair sometimes. I also can't hold a picture of people in my head, I know who my mum is but I can't make her face appear in my head right now. Other people find this sad but it doesn't bother me.

Your son is in for a bumpy ride, there is probably a diagnostic pathway for him but does he want a diagnosis? Will he engage? I don't care about my aphantasia, I don't care about my diagnosis, I wouldn't have pushed for it. For these rare things you often need to be vocal and push for an opening. In my case the neurologist needed to know why I wasn't reacting in the scans so he could include or exclude me from his study, I certainly wasn't the one pushing. 

It's a hard one, I have aphantasia but I wasn't diagnosed as part of my autism. 

I was diagnosed as part of a clinical trial, it's a weird one but I have a pain disorder and was having imaging done where they hooked me up to electrodes and asked me to imagine a chair, a book, a red ball etc and I can't do it. 

I went to a Catholic school (west of Scotland, what can I say?) and there was a lot of weird guided meditation "picture yourself walking along a beach, the sand is warm beneath your feet, there's a breeze coming off the sea, you can smell the Ocean. Jesus is with you taking away your worries" and I'd just laugh and laugh at the absurdity of the thing, I didn't realise that everyone else in the room could actually do it, I thought it was an Emperors New Clothes scenario where they were all pretending they could be on this beach in their heads.

Anyway, the neurologist sent me to a neuropsychologist who did some tests and my brain doesn't react the same to these things as everyone else. I know what a chair is, obviously, but unless one is right there then I can't picture it. Well I can picture a rudimentary chair sometimes. I also can't hold a picture of people in my head, I know who my mum is but I can't make her face appear in my head right now. Other people find this sad but it doesn't bother me.

Your son is in for a bumpy ride, there is probably a diagnostic pathway for him but does he want a diagnosis? Will he engage? I don't care about my aphantasia, I don't care about my diagnosis, I wouldn't have pushed for it. For these rare things you often need to be vocal and push for an opening. In my case the neurologist needed to know why I wasn't reacting in the scans so he could include or exclude me from his study, I certainly wasn't the one pushing. 

Having a diagnosis of anything is more than just understanding of yourself which most people seem to forget.  

If your experiencing extreme stress and dysfunction you cannot seem to get the active support and right treatment without every diagnosis being diagnosed and statemented unfortunately diagnostic services are fragmented only able to diagnosis one disorder at a time which is honestly what is creating a massive waiting list. Many individuals who are diagnosed with autism like myself have to go through multiple waiting lists waiting to be comorbidly diagnosed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alexithymia, Aphantasia, Dyspraxia , Dyslexia and other specific learning disorders.     

Without the right support individuals do not have the access or opportunity and are unable to manage and cope with the education system, Employment and basic life skills. If they are unable to work or attend college most people end up on benefits the majority of their life or their entire life because of this reason and without specific diagnosis many benefit and support are withheld behind decision maker at the department of work and pensions decisions. most commonly reason autistic individuals are refused employment support, Personal Independence Payments is because lack of medical evidence of comorbid condition with autism spectrum disorder. 

From someone still waiting to be seen for both Alexithymia & Aphantasia it has impacted my ability to work most entry level job in both Retail, Hospitality, Social care and even in the Agriculture or Horticulture industries . The amount of times i have be unfairly disciplined with warning and even managed out of the workplace because i forget to smile or act with appropriately expressions (Face being blank). Not to mention that some people in the workplace use it as an excuse to bully and assault their coworkers.

Have a diagnosis At school would have helped a lot because i was an easy excuse to blame me for causing a situation because most spiteful children fake their expression to manipulate situation and outcomes. those with Alexithymia look guilty because we don't express much or don't express the right expression which make us look guilty or as we don't care. even teachers get annoyed and frustrated with us because we appear unpredictable and that make them uncomfortable