Published on 12, July, 2020
I am waiting for a referral for a diagnosis for autism but so worried that the assessor won’t take me seriously as my special interests have always been fictional characters from tv shows as well as tv shows, rock groups, actors and cats. Also objects such as candles, ornaments and plants. The other thing is I’ve learned to mask things over the years and can manage some small talk but only really one on one. Would this make the assessor say my special interests aren’t that of an autistic person? I have read a lot about women being misdiagnosed and really worried in case it happens to me. Any advice would be great.
NAS94353 said:I am waiting for a referral for a diagnosis for autism but so worried that the assessor won’t take me seriously
I would have a look at the list of common autistic traits and make a list of which you exhibit:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-symptoms
For each of these you exhibit, write a few paragraphs that describe how these are for you, giving examples (like fictional charicters would be under Special Interests). Make notes on how these impact your life where relevant.
This should give all the information you need to get things rolling and expect the assessor to probe more into these and maybe bring up others as well.
Remember that they are trained to see through the common autistic defences of masking (ie acting the way you think you should in a situation) and often forgetfulness when put on the spot.
With a little prep work it will be much easier to deal with.