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UPDATED 1st NOV - Starting to Path to Diagnosis at 50

UnicornGroupie

THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my message (below). The turnaround in the attitude of the Doctor has been remarkable. I sent my test results in, and she is now sending out a QA form to be completed as part of the referral process (I scored 7 on the Drs version online). Once they have this back, I'll be in a very long queue for assessment. It was a huge thing to make that call yesterday, and with your help, I am a tiny step closer to a better understanding of myself and that being 50 doesn't mean it doesn't matter anymore. 

I finally contacted my Doctor today to request a referral for the assessment for autism. After talking to me for a while, the Doctor said she felt I did show some of the traits of autism, but because. I am 50 she didn't know if I would fit the criteria for assessment as I have 'learned to live with it'. She did acknowledge the struggle it's been. She said it is only worth getting diagnosed if it would lead to me needing more support. Is this correct? She said she would speak to the other Doctors and text me to let me know if I tick the boxes for a referral. I know this sounds flippant; she wasn't being. She told me I could go to the local charity for autistic people, but I said I wouldn't want to do that without knowing if I have autism. I could be just wasting people's time. It would make a huge difference to me to know, even at 50. That's why I made the call. If I didn't think it would make a difference, I wouldn't have contacted my doctor. Please can you share your experiences or help me put this into perspective? Thanks.

Parents

  • Hi, it sounds like your gp is trying to fob you off, your age isn’t really relevant, I was 54 when I approached my gp and was referred. Have you done any online test such as an AQ50 or Radds-r test. You could use these to reinforce your request. An assessment can be carried out on an older person. A questionnaire normally would be filled in by a parent or carer, if there are no parents then your own input  is totally valid. If the nhs route doesn’t workout then there is the private route.

  • in reply to Roy

    Hi Roy,

    Thank you for your advice. It’s really appreciated. I’ve just taken both of those tests online and scored 41 and 37. I’ve taken screen shots of the results and will send them into the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully it will help me get a referral. Thank you.

  • in reply to UnicornGroupie

    If it helps, make a list of your traits and how they affect you. I found a face to face appointment easier. I video call wouldn’t have shown my body language or lack of it. Unfortunately GP,s are the gatekeepers. If you go down the private route then you can self refer. I’m still on the NHS list but not too bothered as it’s giving me time to explore a lot of my own thoughts.

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  • in reply to UnicornGroupie

    If it helps, make a list of your traits and how they affect you. I found a face to face appointment easier. I video call wouldn’t have shown my body language or lack of it. Unfortunately GP,s are the gatekeepers. If you go down the private route then you can self refer. I’m still on the NHS list but not too bothered as it’s giving me time to explore a lot of my own thoughts.

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