Published on 12, July, 2020
Reading through various threads on here over the 3 months or so that I've been here, people say they've got things like high masking and all sorts of other things added to a diagnosis of autism. How do you know? Do these extra bits help you understand yourself better, do you get more help?
I just thought you got diagnosed as autistic and maybe one other thing like ADHD, but it would seem not, where does one go to get this sort of additional information in the UK?
Martin said: I have always had poor short-term memory and no ability at mental arithmetic, if any cognitive decline tests used these parameters, I would score very poorly!
Unfortunately short-term memory is exactly what they test for with regard to dementia (at least the mini mental state exam does).
I'm the same as you and fear a test and incorrect diagnosis.
With autism in the mix too it's quite a concern.
TheCatWoman said: I worry that I will be judged mroe harshly by geriatric health care professionals because there will be things I can't do, because I've never been able to do them. I feel like I'm part of a frontier generation where understanding will be lacking and we're the ones who they will get it all wrong for and then be subject of a "lessons will be learned" report long after our deaths.
Yep. Seconded.
The only support I have ever received for being autistic is a fast transit through security at an airport, and being able to email my GP rather than have to phone. I have no experience of getting help or support. As for cognitive decline in old age and autistic traits, perhaps drawing up a document detailing your autism-linked traits would be a useful move. I have always had poor short-term memory and no ability at mental arithmetic, if any cognitive decline tests used these parameters, I would score very poorly!
I was diagnosed by a clinical psychologist, who was good but, didn't seem to really know anything about autism in women, which to be far 12 years ago I don't think many people did. He was '..happy to agree with me having social phobia..' but didn't seem able or inclined to offer me anymore help, the feeling was that I'd managed for 50 years undiagnosed so I could carry on as I was. I don't feel that this is really good enough, but don't know where to go to get more help or explaination. I tried looking at the help pages here and was unimpressed.
One of the reasons I feel further diagnosis or at least information would be helpful is because I'm getting older, my cognitive health is good and I do lots of puzzles, accademic reading etc to keep it that way, but what nobody seem to consider is what happens with autists who are suffering age related cognitive decline. I worry that I will be judged mroe harshly by geriatric health care professionals because there will be things I can't do, because I've never been able to do them. I feel like I'm part of a frontier generation where understanding will be lacking and we're the ones who they will get it all wrong for and then be subject of a "lessons will be learned" report long after our deaths.
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Iain I do understand where you're coming from with degrees of elitism and stuff, but I would still like to know. I might like to feel I belong, that there are others like me, because to be frank I don't really feel as though I belong here and it's all very well talking about imposter syndrome and the like, but I feel the need of some feeling that I'm not totally alone in the world. On the whole I'm quite happy to be in my own space and I'm used to people not understanding me, but my gods its, tiring, and I'm fed up of being tired and the feeling that theres no real point in trying to conect with people because I just get looked at like I'm about to sprout a second head.
It is dependant on the people diagnosing you and what they consider are problems you have additional to autism. I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder level 1, generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia
TheCatWoman said:Do these extra bits help you understand yourself better, do you get more help?
These are all pretty much just labels for autistic traits.
There is a degree of elitism when it comes to the term High Masking as well as it helps those with it feel superior to those who are low masking - and it is often given to the subjects by the psychotherapists to make them feel bette about the diagnisis.
It is also descriptive but because it is also divisive then it is a subject of contention still.
It is part of the reason why Aspergers has been "discontinued" as a medical term - it is a subset of autism and the general drive is to get autism identified as a single condition that can get more support and acknowledgment from the world.
At the end of the day I suspect there is a degree of tribalism where people with one trait or another will tend to band together as much for the shared experience as for the feeling of belinging.
As my old gran would say "fine words butter no parsnips" which is odd as she hated parsnips and never made them for us.