Published on 12, July, 2020
I've got an appointment with my GP this afternoon to ask for an assessment referral for ASC. This is on the advice of my counsellor and a mental health nurse I've been speaking with through Occupational Health.
Going from advice on other threads I've looked at the DSM 5 criteria and looked at how I meet them, as well as doing the AQ test and several others, all of which show a strong likelihood of ASC. I've made a list/notes to go through as I find pressured conversations hard.
Is there anything else I should do/say? It's a telephone appointment.
I'm a nearly 40 year old woman who has spent most of my life masking it seems, with the usual consequences of that in depression and anxiety, as well as digestive and sleep issues, all of which have stopped me being able to work and live my life at various times, including at the moment.
Well, being prepared may have done me more harm than good. The GP has said that because I'm articulate and able to talk through this with him, and have got to this stage of my life without serious issues (ignoring the depression and anxiety), that if I were referred it would be a long wait, and it's likely they wouldn't offer me any support after a diagnosis if I got one, so there wouldn't be much practical point in referring me. I asked about the Right to Choose and getting a referral to Psychiatry UK, which he didn't seem to know about. He's going to speak to a senior GP about whether he can do a referral, and if so whether it can be to Psychiatry UK, and give me a call back this afternoon.
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Yet another gp with no idea about autism, most autistic people can walk and talk, Chris Packham articulates very well and is autistic. I explained to my gp about how autism affects my life, at the end of the appointment he stated that he was going to refer me for assessment as I hadn’t made eye contact for the entire consultation. I chose not to make eye contact, I could have easily looked at his chin, I knew eye contact would have been used against me. How sad is that. Unfortunately most doctors still see us very stereotypically.
* It's completely your concern, not his, whether a wait would be exasperating & ultimately fruitless for you. He shouldn't be attempting to do your thinking for you on this matter.
* Articulate speech and writing are not exclusive provinces of neurotypical people, and neither is an organised approach to life...to say the least. Further, you were of course obliged to use language in situations like the one with your GP; so, naturally, you absolutely would strive to be as articulate as possible so that he might have understood your especial circumstances. This is merely par for the course in most social situations, and he should have borne this in mind...not least because it's totally obvious.
* It's extremely poor that so many GPs are ignorant about Autism and about the possible options available to autists both actual and potential. Worse, too many clearly attended the 'You just made eye contact, so you can't be autistic' medical school.
OK - two last minute emergency idea for you........
Idea No. 1
Take two pencils in your pocket - if you fear the doctor is considering you "too normal" stick one pencil carefully in each nostril and state clearly that you are a walrus.
Idea No. 2
If you sense the doctor is not taking your peculiarities seriously enough, start rocking and swaying and hitting the side of your head gently with the heel of your palm. FYI - this is my "go-to" taking the p ee gesture if people start telling me what autism is all about. It always raises a smile and often defuses an awkward moment where I want someone to just stop talking !
Best of luck today.
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