Published on 12, July, 2020
I've been trying to get a post diagnosis assessment, I only found out about them from being on here, I was never offered one when first diagnosed, I was just left to get on with it. I tried the group in North Wales that was supposed to help and they were useless, couldn't get their heads around my very low tech skills, didn't listen, gas lit me on one occaision and ended up being a human google pointing me towards "help" that wasn't even available in Wales. It ended up with two women sat at my kitchen table with a lap top showing two smart phones I could buy from my local tescos and this was after weeks of phone calls and emails around various agencies, I felt like a lost parcel!
On saturday I bumped into some collectors from the local mencap group and asked them if mencap could help me, they assured me that they would, so I emailed them and they can't and tried to send me here and to the above group that are a total waste of time and public money.
Now I feel, well thats that, no help, no interest, all the bodies that are supposed to help with ASC are closed to me apart from these boards. I am able to advocate for myself, so I could write to my Assembly member or MP or both, but can I be bothered? What do I expect them to do? The answer is nothing, the last time I wrote to my assembly member I had no reply at all and my MP did say they'd recieved my email, but the only action that was taken was to pass all my details onto to head office so as they could advertise at me.
Is there anywhere for an intelligent 62 year old woman to get any help?
Hi CatWoman
I can see some of this post relates to smartphones. It also looks like you are wanting post diagnostic help.
With the smartphone, you may find iPhones easier to navigate. They cost more, though I have had excellent refurbished ones in the past. I find them less 'scattered', and easier to navigate.
There seems to be two women for the whole of Wales, via the integrated autism service, and any post diagnostic support has a waiting list of nearly a year, after diagnosis.
I found the assessment really threw me off balance, and the weeks following, trying to integrate my past lack of knowledge, with my new found understanding/lack of understanding totally overwhelming.
Now, waiting for the post diagnostic 'support' myself...whilst knowing that once my turn comes around, some other poor soul will have just had their assessment and will have learnt they have over a year to wait, and therefore feeling rushed and guilty to be taking up their time...I have found that my life has reverted to 'normal'. In so far as it is normal to be completely isolated.
I apologise if this is rather bleak. Hopefully there will be more for us as time moves on. It is pretty much the same for people diagnosed with cancer, motor neurone disease, everything really. We have to find our own way, and for autistic adults, that seems to mean podcasts and the google.
Mind you...podcasts are quite good. If there is a specific query you have, so for instance IT, you can just put that into the podcast search, and it will come up with some relevant pods.
All the best
Sam