Is a working diagnosis basically where the professional will verbally give the diagnosis, but not be prepared to confirm it by putting it down in writing? Eg, my daughter was given a verbal diagnosis of ADHD & Aspergers at 6, then my marriage broke down & they did a U-turn & refused to officially diagnose anything. It took 6 years before anyone was prepared to put the dx down in writing.Would the initial verbal dx be described as a "working" diagnosis? It was a most frustrating time for us, because this verbal diagnosis didn't count for anything, was classed as "hearsay" & my daughter struggled greatly due to this.
A working diagnosis of autism is usually given to an individual while the professional who has been assessing you with autism makes a decision with her colleagues about whether or not you may have autism, You should have a follow up appointment if this is the case and receive a formal diagnosis or not.
It's not a bad situation but if they haven't contacted you within a few weeks to make a follow up appointment i would contact them. In some situations the professional assessing you may have noticed possible another disorder like post traumatic stress disorder and has the difficult job of figuring out if your difficulties and behaviours are caused post traumatic stress disorder alone or you having autism which has affected you in situations that has lead to comorbidity ofpost traumatic stress disorder.
Another situation that make it difficult for professional to come to the decision of an individual having autism is when there is no record or witness of autistic traits or behaviours as a child, surely the professional sent out multiple questionnaire for family and friends to fill out during your first appointment or through the post before your appointment.
In some cases you may have displayed or explained situations that were difficult to relate to autism in a typical manor which could be explained by the possibility of an individual who has Autism comorbid with ADHD or another disorder. In some situation some men can have a more feminine profile of autism which can make assessing an individual difficult.
a working diagnosis of Autism does not affect your ability to apply for autism support and autism related services but it doesn't help that you do not a conclusive diagnosis and will affect your ability to claim benefits and may work against you in accessing support from your local authority which includes educational support and social services.
