Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all I'm on list for an assessment but am starting to worry. I struggle to speak words just don't come out. Any appointments I have I write down responses and am unable to talk on telephone. Will the autism assessment people understand this.
hi i have been on the waiting list for 2 years and have been told hopefully be in september
Hello-welcome to this lovely community. It's completely understandable to feel worried about your upcoming assessment-I think we all felt like that leading up to our assessments. It's important to communicate your concerns and needs clearly to the autism assessment team. It might be helpful to let them know in advance about your difficulty with spoken communication and your preference for written responses-and don't worry or feel you're making a fuss so many people struggle to communicate and prefer to write rather than talk. I do this, It's a lot less stress and I find it a lot easier as I go mute when I get overwhelmed.
They should be understanding and accommodating of your needs during the assessment process-so try not to get too worked up. They're professionals and they will want to make this as smooth and stress free for you as possible. ️
Hi,
Do you mean that you are at the GP stage - having to convince the GP to put you forward to get assessed? Or do you mean you have got past that stage and are worried about your actual assessment?
If you are at the actual assessment stage - I am confident in saying that they will understand this, and how you describe yourself here will likely go in your favour (I am assuming you want to be recognized as autistic?)
In my experience they tend to be very kind and understanding and will not mind you writing things down
Good luck!
Hello NAS78944,
I am sorry to hear that you are worried about the assessment. Our website has a lot of useful information about diagnosis, including a pre-diagnosis guide for adults who think they might be autistic. We also have advice about broaching the subject if you have a family member or friend who you think may be autistic.
You can also browse our website for lots of other advice and guidance on a wide range of information about autism, including what autism is, socialising and relationships, employment, benefits and social care. To find diagnostic services in your local area, you can try searching on our Autism Services Directory, which can be found here. The Directory also includes listings for support and social groups for autistic people, their families and friends.
I hope this helps,
ChloeMod