Published on 12, July, 2020
So after a two year wait, I finally have my initial assessment appointment in a few weeks. (I'm a 35 year old female) Not quite sure why it's called "initial" as I've already had several phone assessments where we discussed the AQ and EQ questionnaires... But that's beside the point.
What happens at this face to face appointment? Will it just be one appointment, or will there likely be several? What kind of things do they ask? I get really nervous and draw a blank when I get asked things I wasn't expecting, is there any way I can sort of prepare for this assessment? Maybe just make a list of certain things, or think about some answers to certain questions, but I don't know what they'll be asking.
Any advice from those of you who have already gone through the process? :)
I’m 48. I had one a few weeks ago. I wanted to prepare, but didn’t know how. On advice from several people, I went in blind. That’s the best thing. You don’t know what they’ll ask, or what you’ll do, so just be yourself. If you know you mask, do your best to drop it.
That's a difficult one, I became aware of my masking a couple of years ago but I don't know how to not mask if that makes sense?
It does make sense, and I can appreciate its very difficult. I did my best to be myself, and behave like I would if I was at home. It’s hard to know where the masking ends/starts, as I’m on a leaning curve like yourself.If I went to the assessment masking, I would be standing and sitting prim and proper, and acting very confident. I would give a lot of eye contact, smile a lot, and nod and make the right noises. It would have put my hand out to shake etc.
None of that is normal for me. Its unnatural and uncomfortable, especially the hand shaking.
I think I'll bring some things written down, just in case. Before I started this whole process I'd made a list of things that I felt or did that I thought could potentially be linked to autism, to give to my CBT therapist (CBT wasn't working which is why she agreed to do a referral for me). The list was 4.5 pages long, which I thought might in itself be a sign
well sure, but that's an answer to a different question. i am replying to the question and point piki86 noted.
Again, this approach will not suit everyone. If you are prone to sporadic selective mutism, like me, having things written down will help.
Overthinking is in my core hahaha I'll do my best not to.
same. found myself naturally unmasking in the assessment itself - probably because the assessors understood autism and so i didn't feel need to blend in. just happened. meeting with other autistic people also helped for me (only done that twice now). don't overthink it.